Don't
by Pam Elric
Summary: A love triangle, college deadlines, hormones, friendships on the line and lots of coffee. Elsa has been hurt in the past, so she intended on keeping a low profile during college, rejecting every advance sent her way. And then Jack and Hiccup happened. This is a Jelsa story, though there's lots of Hiccelsa in the way.
1. Global Studies

Hi everyone! This is my first try at a crossover. I only just recently learnt about the existence of this couple and I gotta say, I'm hooked! And then this happened. Hope you enjoy it :) Reviews are welcome, just don't be mean.

* * *

><p>Elsa dropped her backpack on the floor as soon as she reached the empty sit at the other end of the classroom, on the third row from the front to the back, and next to the window. She didn't know exactly why she liked that place in particular, but she always sought it out.<p>

It was 8am and the day wasn't really turning out to be great, even if it was still so early. It had been raining when she got out of the apartment she shared with her sister and cousin, so her boots were all muddy and wet. The bus had taken its sweet time to pass by her stop, and she had not been able to grab coffee because the line at the cafeteria was humongous and she was already in danger of getting late to class.

Her first class of the third semester. She was glad to have worn a simple attire of jeans and a baggy blouse with flower patterns along with her brown boots. It had made it easy to speed walk all the way to her destination. She felt exhausted already.

She sat and folded her arms on the small desk's surface and buried her face in them with a groan. Not a minute later, she heard someone taking the seat behind her.

"Well, someone didn't get her morning coffee"

"Shut up, Hiccup" she replied, her voice muffled by her arms. She heard him chuckle.

Hiccup was wearing a light green shirt, jeans and a dark brown leather jacket. He took off the jacket and hung it on the back of his chair.

"Not my fault you're such an open book. Chill out, I'll buy you some coffee after class"

"I'll make you buy me some, just for making fun of me" she said, lifting her head and turning towards him with a grin. He smiled back and mockingly raised his open palms in front of him.

"Of course, I don't want to anger the mighty Elsa Snowfield"

"You better not" she threatened, turning her attention back to the front to see the teacher coming in.

Hiccup was her best friend. He was studying Industrial Design, so he shared a lot of classes with her since she was in Graphic Design.

The class they were currently in, though, was one that the both dreaded: a common knowledge subject. Their college had these classes to help students meet with people from different disciplines, but to Elsa that was a load of crap. The classes were boring and a waste of her time.

This particular one was abstractly named Global Studies, which sounded (and ended up being, as they would soon discover) kind of like History class in high school.

"Remind me why we're here again" Elsa whispered during the teacher's introduction. The old man was saying something about the importance of staying updated with global problems and their consequences in society, blah blah blah. Hiccup did his best to suppress a grin at her comment and leaned forward to answer.

"Because we're antisocial and need the school to help us make friends" he joked, and heard Elsa's snort in reply.

She turned towards the window and looked outside. The campus was quite big and beautiful, and normally the view was nice because you could see the gardens quite well from most of the classrooms in buildings 2 and 3… when it wasn't raining, of course, which was Elsa's present situation.

Watching the rainy landscape made her all too aware of the lack of caffeine in her system, and her eyelids started to feel heavy…

SLAM!

Someone broke into the classroom, pushing the door open so hard it almost fell off its hinges. Elsa and Hiccup both turned to the entrance of the classroom to see who it was, but the person standing there was unfamiliar to them.

He was tall and skinny, a body build very similar to Hiccup's, with skin so pale it almost looked gray. His eyes were a very light, eye-catching shade of blue and his hair was unusually white. Elsa could tell it was his hair's natural color, though, since she'd seen fake hair whitening and it looked a lot less shiny.

He looked rather distressed and was leaking, probably after running under the now heavy rain. All his clothing, a blue hoodie, brown pants and dark blue converse, was soaked.

"Well, so nice of you to join us, Mr. Overland" indicated the teacher, Mr. Weselton, very visibly annoyed "Could you please make less of a scene next time?"

"The teacher already knows him" Elsa observed, raising her eyebrows at the fact.

"He must be an English Literature student, I hear Mr. Weselton teaches a few classes for them" Hiccup explained hastily. Elsa rolled her eyes at this.

"Oh, those hippies" she dismissed, making Hiccup unable to contain his chuckle.

"Right… sorry" the boy muttered, closing the door a lot more discreetly than he had opened it and hurriedly making his way across the classroom to the only available seat, which happened to be next to Elsa.

He slumped into his seat with a heavy sigh, visibly flustered, and Mr. Weselton resumed his lesson.

Elsa and Hiccup exchanged gazes before turning away from the lesson once more, making their best effort to forget where they were.

Jack sighed again, not even bothering to listen to Mr. Weselton. He was so bad with early classes! He hated himself for not arranging his timetable when he should have, he could've landed himself a spot in the 2pm Global Studies class… but NO! He took his sweet time and now he was stuck with the 8am one. He groaned at the thought. There was nothing he could do about that now.

He lazily turned around the classroom. No one he knew was there, another consequence of having a messed up schedule.

Then he turned left.

_**Wha… who is that?**_ he wondered stupidly, staring at the beautiful girl sitting just next to him. She was looking away, and the view of her with the rainy landscape out the window as background made her look like she was glowing. Her hair had a beautiful tone of blond, almost white as his, and it was elegantly put up into a braided bun. Her eyes were big and blue, under impossibly long eyelashes. Her rosy lips were slightly parted and she looked distracted and dreamy, her slim arms crossed on the desk serenely.

_**She's so beautiful… perhaps my messing up the timetables wasn't that bad after all. I should definitely talk to her after class.**_ he thought, not really knowing what he would say. Perhaps ask her name, for now? They would be in the same class for the whole semester, after all. He smirked at his thoughts, his eyes not leaving the girl next to him.

_**What the hell is this jackass looking at Elsa for?!**_ Hiccup growled internally. Elsa seemed too far off into her daydreaming state to notice, but he was feeling increasingly disturbed by the way this stranger stared at her.

Of course he knew the reason, and he knew he really couldn't blame him, but he just wished there was a way to just keep everyone away from his Elsa altogether. It took him a whole year in denial to finally realize his feelings for her, and now he'd let go off his mental blockade, he found out he'd already fallen in love with her. Being away from her during summer vacations had been eye-opening to him, for he'd missed her beyond belief and everything had seemed to remind him of her.

She seemed happily oblivious to all this, though, so now he found himself at a loss of words. How would he tell her? Would she even be able to see him as anything but a friend?

One thing he knew for sure: He couldn't drag it for long, or someone would beat him to it. He was now actually surprised that Elsa didn't get a boyfriend during her first year of college, though he knew she had had a couple of boyfriends during high school. He'd seen a few guys try to ask her out during the last year, and she'd agreed to a couple of them, but she would dismiss them right after the first date. She wasn't in any hurry to date anyone, and thus was a hard to get girl, which only added to her attractiveness in Hiccup's mind.

An hour later, the bell blissfully rang and Mr. Weselton dismissed them. Elsa hadn't even bothered to take out her notebook, so there was nothing to pack. She was normally an exemplary student, but when it came to common knowledge classes she let out the rebel inside her and just didn't care.

Just as she was getting up to leave, Jack practically jumped in front of her, his backpack hanging from his right shoulder.

"Hey! Uhm, I believe we haven't met before, I'm Jack" he said with a grin. Elsa looked at him with widened eyes.

"That's... nice to know. Have a good day, Jack" she said, walking past him, her gaze not lingering on him a second longer than necessary. Jack stood there, dumbfounded, and Hiccup walked past him as well. He was feeling particularly smug and shot him an arrogant smirk.

"Smooth" he mocked, going after Elsa.

The snarky comment made Jack turn, just in time to see the two friends walk away while the chatted happily. He clenched his fists and glared at the brown haired guy, who briefly looked back and winked at him smugly.

* * *

><p>"I was probably too hard on that boy at Global Studies" Elsa commented as she drank from her double-shot vanilla latte. Hiccup looked startled at this sudden change of subject. They were long gone from that class, and had even had a second one after they could quietly sit at the cafeteria.<p>

"What? Why are you thinking about that creep?"

"Creep? He just introduced himself and I totally brushed him off. He was just a victim of my lack of coffee, that's hardly fair" she pointed out, looking genuinely embarrassed. Hiccup rolled his eyes.

"Why do you care what that guy thinks about you?"

"I don't, I just feel bad about my complete lack of control over myself when I'm not entirely awake. Remember last semester, when I snapped at the Art History teacher?"

"Ugh, that wasn't pretty"

"That's my point"

"Well, if it makes you feel better, I like you with or without coffee" he said with a wink, before taking another sip from his regular coffee. Elsa giggled.

"Don't know why you'd still be my friend if you didn't. How on earth do you put up with me?"

"I guess I just owe you for putting up with me" he said with a shrug, at which she just snorted and looked away.

"Shut up, Haddock, there's no effort in putting up with you, you're cool" she replied honestly. Hiccup's smile fell, as his thoughts from Global Studies came back to him. If he was going to speed this up, he might as well get on with it, and now was a perfect time to do so.

"Uhm, El? I was wondering..." he started, a slight blush creeping up to his cheeks. Luckily he had tanned skin, so it was probably not very obvious.

"Yes?" Elsa asked, her gaze returning to him, genuine curiosity showing in the way her blue eyes sparkled. Hiccup gulped.

"I... well, I've been thinking... I... I mean, we... probably..."

"ELSA!" Hiccup almost fell off his chair at the sound of Anna's voice totally ruining his chance. The strawberry blonde girl was soon standing next to their table, followed by Elsa's cousin Rapunzel.

"Hi Anna, finally up and about?" Elsa asked with a smile, while Hiccup buried his face in his crossed arms on the table with a groan. Anna didn't look at him, but Rapunzel raised an eyebrow at the gesture.

"Yeah! We're going to our first class of the day. Sorry that you had to get up so early"

"Meh, I'm fine now that I finally got some coffee. If it hadn't been raining I could've had some when I got here and everything would've been just fine. You're lucky the rain stopped already"

"So are you girls excited for your first day in college?" Hiccup asked, trying to act as if he wasn't just about to confess to Elsa and got interrupted. Anna beamed at him.

"Are we ever!"

"What are you majoring in?" he asked curiously.

"Oh, I want to be a teacher, so I'm majoring in Education"

"And I'm going for Graphic Design like Elsa" Rapunzel added. Hiccup nodded with a smile.

"That's great, and I think you guys better get going if you don't want to be late for class"

"I'll walk with you, girls, I actually have class right now as well" Elsa announced, grabbing her cup and her backpack as she got up from her chair "I'll see you around, Hic"

"See you, El" he said, raising his hand in a "V" sign. As the girls walked away, Hiccup sighed heavily.

"What was I going to say anyway?"

* * *

><p>Two days had passed and it was time for Global Studies again, early in the morning. Elsa walked into the room, already carrying her double-shot vanilla latte, a good fifteen minutes early, and it was completely deserted.<p>

Except for one person.

"Morning" Jack said with a grin. Elsa looked away, glad he hadn't taken the same seat as last time. He was in the far back of the classroom, last row from the front, middle desk.

"Morning" she replied, almost as a whisper. She walked over to her favorite seat, third row from the front next to the window. Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Do you always sit exactly there?" he inquired. Elsa looked at him in disbelief.

"Yes, I like this seat, Person-I-just-met" she emphasized. Jack got up and walked over to sit next to her like last class.

"Why do you call me that? You know my name's Jack, Girl-who-brushed-me-off" he said with a smirk. Elsa buried her face in her palms.

"I'm sorry, I was mad that day because I had to run from the rain and hadn't had time to get my coffee. I was rude, I know, I'm really sorry" Jack had to laugh at this _**She's so cute!**_

"Hey, don't mention it. I'm more than glad to leave that behind us if you just tell me your name" he said, leaning in a little towards her. Elsa looked up and blushed, looking away quickly.

"Elsa" she replied. Jack couldn't suppress a sigh.

"Elsa… it suits you"

"How come?" she asked, looking at him again with wide eyes.

"Isn't it obvious? A beautiful name for a beautiful girl like you. A beautiful girl I'd like to take out for coffee later, say, at 6?" he said in a low, seductive voice. Elsa blinked twice at him…

...and then snorted, very unlady-like, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Wow, that was some line. Have you rehearsed it a lot?" she asked, now sounding a lot less embarrassed than before. Jack did a double-take and sat straight.

"What?"

"Oh, come on, you're not expecting me to believe all that crap came from the bottom of your heart, are you? Sorry, but I already have coffee, no need to take me for more" she said, raising her cup to him as if signaling for a toast.

Jack couldn't believe this. He wasn't the biggest playboy around, truth be told, but he was pretty sure of himself. And that line had never failed to at least get a giggle out of the girl he was targeting.

This girl was tough. And he liked it.

"Ok, ok, you got me. You can't blame me for trying, though. But even if it was a line, I still think you're beautiful"

"Just leave me alone" Elsa stated blankly, turning away from him to get her notebook out of her backpack.

"Is it a crime to tell you you're beautiful?"

"Stop it, please"

"Aw, come on, Elsa! Don't just dismiss how I feel!"

"How you feel?" she asked incredulously "You seriously want me to believe you _feel_ something for me, when we've barely talked and you didn't even know my name?"

"Elsa… you seem more than human to me. You're like... a fairy, I don't know what you are - anything that no one ever saw, and everything that everybody has ever wanted. I was swallowed up in an abyss of love in an instant. I was gone, headlong, before I had sense to say a word to you, from the very first moment I saw you..." he said with intensity, again leaning closer to her, his smirk gone from his face.

Elsa laughed.

"That's from David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens"

"...what?"

"I mean, you edited a bit, but that's definitely a line from that novel"

"Ok, so you read" Jack said, rolling his eyes and sinking into his seat, defeated and embarrassed. Elsa continued to laugh.

"Sorry, I'm not into players, but nice try" she said, just as more people were starting to arrive for the 8am class. A couple of minutes later, Hiccup walked into the room, straight towards Elsa, who had saved him the seat behind her with her backpack. He stared at her for a moment.

"You look pleased" he observed. Elsa giggled mischievously.

"I am, actually. Good morning, by the way"

"Morning, El" he said, taking his seat. It was just then he noticed Jack, sitting in the same place, but looking rather annoyed and hiding under his hoodie. He raised an eyebrow, but decided not to say anything.

Jack was actually relieved to see Mr. Weselton walk in, happy to be distracted by anything other than Elsa happily chatting to brown-haired idiot behind her.

_**Friendzoned bastard**_ he thought bitterly, not admitting he was actually jealous. He had never been rejected straight out like that. He didn't really know how he felt about the whole situation.

_**Shame, he's actually very handsome**_ Elsa thought, recalling how he initially had made her feel a bit embarrassed. She wasn't blind, and she was human, but she was also not dumb. Smooth-talking guys freaked her out. She'd been down that road before and she knew all too well how it could end…

Elsa shook her head, as if that could get read of the bad memories. It was not the time and place to remember that.

_**He obviously made a move and Elsa put him in his place. Serves him right.**_ Hiccup thought with a smirk. His face fell almost immediately, though, when his thoughts went back to his own situation _**Man, Elsa's tough. I don't know if I could live with myself if she rejected me like I've seen her reject guys before…**_

Hiccup sighed. It was going to be a long semester.

* * *

><p>It feels good to be back here :) Leave a review if you liked it<p> 


	2. Pizza Night

Hello everyone. Thank you those of you who reviewed :) I answer all reviews I can personally, though Guest reviews I can't reply to. But I still appreciate and read them :)

Warning: This is a mayor, MAYOR Hiccelsa chap. All Hiccelsa moments dedicated to **CaitlynLovesChocolate**.

Remember this is a Jelsa story, though.

* * *

><p>"Dude, would you say I'm a player?"<p>

To say Aster was surprised to hear this was the understatement of the year.

"Hey mate, are you ok? What's with the self-deprecating question?"

"Mmmm..." Jack didn't answer, he just drank the rest of his beer and tossed the can into the trash. He and his best friend, Aster, had been hanging out at the balcony. Aster's flat had a nice view of the city "Dunno, stupid question"

"Nah mate, you've been sulking a lot lately. You got something on your mind, that's for sure"

"S'nothing really, it's just… this girl called me a player..."

"And you've been thinking about it? That's nothing mate, just blow her off"

"That's the thing, SHE blew me off"

"When did this happen? Yesterday? Last week?"

"A month and a half ago... And every day I've tried since then..." he said, opening what would be his third beer that night. He normally didn't drink more than just the one, but he was feeling exceptionally bitter.

Aster looked at him in shock.

"A month and a half?! And you're still thinking about this? Who blew you off, the princess of Monaco?!"

"She's… I don't know, Aster, I think… she's something else entirely. She's beautiful, though she never dresses provocatively and she still manages to make me stare. She's smart, like really smart and well-read, and my usual lines don't work with her. And she has this 'friend' who very obviously likes her and follows her around… she's almost never on her own"

"That reeks of infatuation, mate, sounds like you have it bad"

"Shut up" Jack took another sip from his beer, recalling all the times he had tried to get her to go out with him during the last month. None of those times had gone any differently and she was increasingly annoyed by his efforts.

_**Dunno what's worse, Elsa's rejection or that idiot Hiccup Haddock's smug smiles afterwards**_ he thought bitterly. Oh, he already knew his name, of course. He'd had the chance of overhearing it.

_**Such a stupid name.**_

"You should see your face mate" Aster laughed, signaling at him with his beer "You look pissed"

"Meh, it's not like I care too much about her"

"You don't? 'Cause you could've fooled me"

"Why would I care about her? She's just been rejecting me, I haven't even had a proper conversation with her"

"And have you thought that maybe that's what you like about her?"

"UH?!"

"Seriously, mate, what else could it be? You've been hitting on her because she's probably pretty, and now she intrigues you because she's strong and independent. Heck, I know I'd dig that. I'm tired of those skanks who go to bed with the first bloke that crosses paths with them" he pointed out, taking another sip from the beer.

Jack frowned _**A strong woman, uh? Elsa definitely fits that description.**_

…

Hiccup let himself fall backwards on the grass, his backpack next to him unceremoniously dropped before doing so. He didn't care that he was still on campus and any student that walked by could stare at him. He felt emotionally exhausted. Every time he tried to confess his feelings to Elsa, something interrupted him or got in the way.

But he had to tell her!

_**Damnit, Elsa, what are you doing to me?**_ he thought with a sigh, his eyes closed to avoid the sun on his face.

"Well someone looks comfy"

Hiccup opened his eyes and saw Astrid, standing over him with a smile. He smiled back.

"Hey Astrid"

"Hey yourself" she replied, sitting next to him. He made no move to get up "you seem like you have a lot on your mind"

Astrid was one of his classmates, also going for Industrial Design, so he saw her almost as often as he saw Elsa. She was dating a guy that antagonized him too much for his liking, though. He didn't know his name, but his friends called him Snotlout.

"Not a lot. Just the one person" he admitted. He knew he could tell Astrid and, frankly, he'd been eager to tell someone and get it out of his system.

"Ooooh girl problems! Interesting, fill me in!"

"Well, you know her. It's Elsa" he said as nonchalantly as possible. Astrid gasped

"What? The blonde girl you're ALWAYS with? Seriously?! Why don't you just tell her?! Wait... Did you tell her already? Did she reject you?"

"Whoa whoa, slow down, Astrid! No, I haven't told her. I have tried, but I'm always interrupted and it's kinda nerve wracking"

"Oh, I get it... And are you going to keep trying?" She asked. Hiccup finally pushed himself up on his elbows.

"Should I? I'm starting to think it's just not meant to be" he said, staring blankly at the sky. Astrid rolled his eyes at him and punched him hard on his shoulder "Ow! What was that for?!"

"For being such a girl! Just tell her already! Are you telling me you're going to be alright if someone else asks her out before you do?" She reprimanded, sounding genuinely annoyed.

Hiccup frowned _**I'm certainly not cool with Jackson Overland asking her out, and he's not even succeeding**_ he thought truthfully.

"No" was all that he replied. Astrid shrugged

"Then go ahead and ask her. She's in the library right now, you could go tell her like... This very instant"

…

Elsa grabbed her backpack and suppressed a groan _**Why on earth is this so heavy? Hiccup's right, it's like I'm packed for traveling to the mountains, I should get some stuff out when I get home**_

She turned around the corner towards the exit and bumped straight into someone.

"Oh my, sorry, I wasn't looking!"

"No worries, princess" Jack whispered (they were still inside the library) with his usual side grin. Elsa groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Oh, it's just you" she whispered back.

"Hey, that hurts" he said mockingly, placing a hand to his chest "You're tough, Ellie"

"Bye, Jack, don't ever call me that again" she said flatly, trying to walk around him. Jack sighed and stopped her gently with a hand on her shoulder.

"Wait, Elsa, please… sorry, ok? I've probably been trying way too hard and I'm approaching you the wrong way. Could we just...you know, could we just be friends?" he pleaded.

To say Elsa was shocked would've been the understatement of the year. His behaviour had changed completely, even his voice had sounded different when he took the flirtatious edge off it. She looked him in the eyes and, for the first time, she saw something genuine there, even if she wasn't quite sure what it was.

"Why is it so important to you? You don't even know me"

"I know you're different. You're a rare kind of girl. You don't seem to care what others think about you, you're independent, and you're very comfortable with yourself. That alone sets you apart from all women I've met" he confessed, still looking at her intensely.

"Wow, Jack, I didn't realize you thought so highly of me. Thanks" she said, for the first time offering him a genuine smile.

Jack gaped at her for a moment. He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt weak in the knees.

"Well, I do think highly of you. I admit my interest were purely superficial at first, there's no denying it… but now I'm kinda glad you rejected me then"

"You are?"

"Well, it wasn't exactly fun to be rejected but... I don't know, it says a lot about you and how much you respect yourself. I'm sorry, I guess you're right, I'm kind of...a player?"

"Kind of?"

"I don't know, I don't feel comfortable describing myself as a player. Wouldn't I need to be surrounded by women in order to be one?"

"Are you not?"

"No I'm not"

"But you've had many girlfriends"

"A few..."

"Yeah, a few, I believe that" Elsa said, rolling her eyes. Jack raised his open palms in front of him defensively.

"Hey! I've had like... 3 girlfriends. And yeah, I probably hooked up a couple of times with girls that weren't really looking for a relationship but it's been a while since I've done that, really" He explained. Elsa burst into laughter, covering her mouth and trying to not make noise. They could still be kicked out by the librarian, but she just couldn't help herself.

"What?"

"Jack, it's so funny that you feel like you need to explain yourself to me. None of that is going to make me go on a date with you"

"Then forget the date, let's just hang out at school. As friends"

"As friends?"

"Yes, friends. I won't try anything funny, I swear. Besides, what could I try, if we just see each other inside the campus?" he stated with a shrug. Elsa was thinking through what he'd just said when suddenly the librarian appeared next to them, clearing her throat. Both of them jumped with surprise, since they hadn't seen her approach them.

"You two, out" she said, pointing towards the door. They exchanged gazes and nodded, before hurrying outside the door.

Once it was closed behind them, they burst into laughter.

"Gee, she scared me! Is she a ninja or something?!" exclaimed Jack, holding a hand to his chest feigning a heart attack. Elsa giggled at the gesture.

"Mrs. Potts is always like that, she takes the silence of her library very seriously"

"I can see that" Jack said, his laughter turning into a simple grin "So this was fun"

"Yes..." replied Elsa, almost incredulously "it was, actually"

"Listen, I gotta go to class, but I'll see you around, then? All awkwardness behind us?"

"Yeah, see you around, Jack"

"Bye Ellie!" he waved, walking away from her. Elsa blushed.

"Don't call me that!" she yelled, but he probably couldn't hear her over the sound of the bell that indicated a new class starting.

She stood there for a moment, staring at the place where he had turned around the corner and disappeared from her sight. It was surprising, but she had learnt Jackson Overland was actually a pretty nice guy when he wanted to be.

"Hey El" Elsa jumped a little and turned around to see Hiccup standing behind her. She smiled widely.

"Hiccup! Just the guy I wanted to see!" she exclaimed, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

"Really? Why?"

"Well, because I already had my last class of the day, I know you had yours, and I want pizza!" she said, throwing her arms in the air with excitement. Hiccup laughed.

_**Gosh, this woman is perfect.**_

"Yup, then I'm most certainly the man you were looking for! My place or yours?"

"Yours, Anna, Rapunzel and Merida are going to be at mine later and I want peace"

"Yeah, those three aren't exactly a peaceful trio. Let's go then, but I get to choose where we get the pizza from" he said with a smirk. It was the best timing ever: Elsa and him would be alone, she would be softened by the pizza (as she always was) and then he could peacefully tell her how he felt.

_**Today is the day!** _he thought to himself. Elsa smiled widely at him.

"Deal!" she exclaimed, starting to walk towards the parking lot, only to be pulled back by Hiccup tugging on her backpack "Wha-! HEY!"

"Oh no, if you think I'm gonna let you carry this rock all the way to the parking lot, you're mistaken, Miss Snowfield" he said, pulling her backpack off her shoulders in one swift movement. Elsa stared at him surprised.

"Woah, Hiccup... you're way stronger than you look" she said in all sincerity. Hiccup blushed, but frowned at her.

"What did you think? That I'm some kind of skinny fish-like creature?"

"Well, you are skinny..."

"ELSA!"

…

"Ugh, ok, I fold!" Hiccup said, dropping his cards on the floor in frustration. Elsa laughed.

"You are so bad at poker, it borders on criminally bad" she said, gathering the cards and shuffling them to play again. Hiccup shrugged.

"I'm not that bad, you're just insanely good. You bluff like a freaking sociopath" he stated, grabbing another slice of pizza.

Hiccup's apartment wasn't very big, and it actually had only two rooms: the bathroom and everything else. It was rather fancy-looking, though: white walls, a really small kitchen on the corner right opposite to the front door, a big king sized bed that occupied one third of the whole apartment, a wooden wardrobe next to the bed, a chest of drawers and a TV on top of it. He also had a small desk next to his wardrobe to work on homeworks and stuff, but it was hardly fitting to sit and play cards while eating pizza, which is why they mostly ended up sitting on the carpet.

Elsa giggled at his last comment, and Hiccup couldn't help but stare at her. She looked so pretty even when she wasn't trying, like today. _**How can she look so hot wearing jeans and an oversized t-shirt?**_

He looked again. He could see the black strap of Elsa's bra on the shoulder that was exposed by said t-shirt. _**Ok, scratch that. Oversized t-shirts rule.**_

"Ok, what do you want to do now?" she asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest and interrupting his train of thought. Hiccup grinned.

"I could whip your ass playing Portal 2 on my playstation"

"Nooooooo! I'm so bad at Portal 2!" Elsa whined, looking genuinely stricken by the idea. He had to laugh at this. Gosh, even her whiny attitude is cute.

"Ah, so we can just play at things I'm bad at, but we can't play at things YOU'RE bad at. That hardly seems fair"

"I never said it had to be fair"

"Elsa, Portal 2 isn't even a competition! It is a cooperative game play!"

"But you laugh at me whenever I take too long to coordinate with you!"

"Ugh, ok, what do you want to do, then? I'm tired of playing cards, you always win! Maybe we can find something I'm good at as well?" he said, throwing his arms up in defeat. Elsa touched her chin thoughtfully.

"Mmmm… what is Hiccup good at? That is not an easy question" she feigned interest in the new, teasing topic "Mmm… what could it be?! He's so bad at everything!"

"Hey, you just watch it..."

"We could always play tic tac toe, you MAY be good at that!" she teased, already unable to contain her giggles. Hiccup narrowed his eyes at her, but was unable to suppress a grin.

"You are playing a dangerous game, Miss Snowfield"

"Oh no, which game is that? Are you good at playing it, or am I offending you?"

"Ok, that's it, come here!" Elsa shrieked as she saw him coming, but was not fast enough in getting away. Hiccup grabbed her by the waist and instantly started tickling her.

She collapsed to the floor and started to convulse with laughter as Hiccup's fingers danced on her waist and tummy.

"NOOOO HICCUP! PLEEEEASE! STOOOOOP! HAVE MERCY!" she screamed, feeling tears of laughter coming out of her eyes.

"You should be able to free yourself from me, if you're so good at everything!"

"HICCUP! PLEEEEASE!"

"Just admit I won! Admit it!"

"NEVEEEEER!"

"Admit it!"

"NOOOO!"

"Then I won't stop until you die laughing!"

"OK OK! YOU WIN! YOU ALWAYS WIN! I CAVE!"

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it?" he said, finally stopping his tickling attack... Only to notice their current position.

He flushed as he realized he had Elsa pinned down to the floor underneath him, her remaining giggles sending electric shocks through his body.

Elsa stopped laughing and noticed Hiccup was no longer smiling. She frowned.

"Hic? Is something wrong?" she asked.

Hiccup opened and closed his mouth a couple of times as if to say something, then blushed and looked away. He didn't move from where he was, though.

"What is it? Did I say something wrong?" she asked again, worrying about his unusual demeanor.

_**I'm not going to get a better opportunity than this one.**_ he thought.

"Uhm...El, there's something...something I need to tell you" he whispered huskily at her.

Elsa felt her face burn up. She was suddenly aware of how close Hiccup was, and how she could feel his breath on her face with every word he said. _**Have**** his green eyes always been this gorgeous?**_ she thought.

"W-what is it?" she whispered back.

Hiccup suddenly found himself unable to speak again. His tongue wasn't working, no sound was coming out of his mouth no matter how much he tried. Elsa was right underneath him, he could feel her whole body against his, and her eyelids had come down a bit, her gaze coming at him through her beautiful eyelashes.

He shifted all of his weight on his left arm and lifted the right one to gently touch her cheek. He realized he had never touched her face. It felt soft and creamy under his calloused hands. Elsa closed her eyes and leaned her face into his touch, smiling.

_**Ah...to hell with it.**_

He closed his eyes.

And smashed his lips against hers.

And when he felt her kiss him back, all was well in his world, and he felt like something really heavy had been lifted off his shoulders, all the weight he'd been carrying since he realized Elsa wasn't just a friend. It was gone.

Along with his self control

* * *

><p>Hope you enjoyed!<p> 


	3. New Friendships

Hello again! I'm inspired, can you tell? Many updates! I just really got into this story.

Thank you, everyone, for all your fantastic reviews! Chill, this isn't a Hiccelsa story, it's a Jelsa. Though I know, I got a tad bit carried away with the Hiccelsa on the last chapter xD it's just a complicated story like that, Elsa doesn't know what she wants, she's... well, just wait and see :)

Anyway, on with the story, and thanks again to everyone who's reading this, reviewer or not :)

...

...

Hiccup sighed heavily and wiped The sweat from his forehead. _**Oh no, now I've done it. I was supposed to ask her out, not sleep with her! Though I can't say I regret it...**_

"That was... wow, that was amazing" he couldn't help but comment. He could hear Elsa breathing tiredly next to him, but he was a little afraid to look at her.

"So...what now?" Elsa asked, not really knowing what else to say. Her mind was a wreck _**OMG what the hell did you just do?! You slept with your best friend! **_

"That...sounds awfully awkward" Hiccup replied, a worried tone in his voice. He held himself up on his side with his elbow, finally turning to look at her. She was just laying there holding onto the covers of his bed, staring at the ceiling.

As he rose, the bed covers slipped down his body, exposing his naked chest. Elsa glanced briefly at him sideways and her cheeks turned pink.

Hiccup couldn't stop himself from grinning at the sight of it _**She's so cute...**_

"I'm sorry, I feel like I took advantage of you. I mean... You're my best friend!" She said, looking up at him. Hiccup snorted.

"You? Take advantage of me?! If you remember correctly, I was the one who kissed you and started all of...this. Besides... yes, you're my best friend too. Doesn't that count for something?"

"What do you mean?" She asked confused. He arched an eyebrow at her.

"Well isn't that the best relationship description? We're best friends and... now we're more than that, and we know each other so well. You know I'm not gonna hurt you like it happened with-"

"Don't say his name!" Elsa snapped suddenly, sitting up in a jump, bringing the covers up with her to keep her chest hidden "don't ever say his name!"

"I'm sorry, sorry, I knew that, sorry" he said defensively backing out a bit, his open palms in front of him and sitting up straight "Sorry, El. I didn't mean to upset you. I just… sorry, I don't know what to say. I just don't want you to regret this" he said, already sounding a bit hurt by the mere idea of it. Elsa sighed and looked away.

"I didn't say I regret it" she mumbled, though he heard her loud and clear.

"El, just hear me out for a bit, and don't freak out. I like you, ok? I really do like you. I've been thinking about you as more than my friend for a while now"

"You have?"

"Y-yes..." now he hesitated a bit. He had been very confident at the start because of their situation (they had just slept together after all) but now he knew he had to be more careful with his words "El, I'm sorry, I never had a good occasion to tell you before, and I was scared you'd reject me and we'd lose our friendship, but I really want something serious with you. I mean... this is certainly not how I wanted it to start and it really doesn't help my case but... would you consider going out with me?"

Elsa stared at him for a moment and thought about it. She did feel something for him. What had just happened between them... It hadn't felt awkward at all. She'd rather enjoyed her new level of proximity to him. And he was right: she knew he wasn't capable of hurting her. She knew him too well. This could very much solve all of her insecurity problems and she could finally throw herself into a relationship once again.

"Why me? Why do you like me like that? It's not like I've been dressing up or anything when I'm around you..." she wondered out loud. Hiccup laughed humorlessly at this, looking away to hide his blush.

"You're kidding, right? Like you need to dress up or anything. You are beautiful, you don't need to do much to make me feel the way I feel"

"Awww Hiccup… you're cute..."

"Shut up"

She smiled. That statement had spread warmth in her heart, and she had no doubts about it now. If there was someone she could trust with all of her heart, it was him. She still didn't know if this could turn into love, but she wanted to take the risk and they could take it one step at a time.

"Ok... I'll date you" she said confidently. Hiccup turned and stared at her in shock.

"What? Really?"

"Were you expecting me to say no?" she asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Uh... Well, I wouldn't have blamed you. Having sex with you before asking you out wasn't one of my smartest moves" he admitted, scratching the back of his head shyly. Elsa had to laugh, and to him, Elsa's laughter was like music. He suddenly felt less worried.

"It takes two to tango, Hiccup, and I was certainly not complaining. So… we let ourselves be swept away by the moment, I don't see anything wrong with it. I know you respect me. For what it's worth… I think I would've regretted it if this had happened with anyone else, but not with you" she admitted with a reassuring smile. Hiccup smiled back, blushing slightly.

"Ok… so then… you're my girlfriend" this wasn't a question, and Elsa liked that. She was used to confident, goofy Hiccup.

"That's what you would call me, yes" she replied with a giggle.

He smiled widely, suddenly feeling the overflow of joy in his chest _**She's my girlfriend! Elsa's my girlfriend!**_

He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled him towards him, planting a chaste kiss on her forehead.

"Hey girlfriend" he whispered, touching her forehead with his, looking at her with tender eyes.

"Hey" she replied, and closed her eyes. They started like that for a while, in silence, just enjoying each others company.

They both felt at peace.

Hiccup was starting to feel sleepy when he heard her soft voice.

"We should probably get dressed"

"Right! Sure!" He replied as she backed away from his embrace and got up from the need to start looking for her clothes, which were obviously scattered everywhere.

She suddenly noticed Hiccup hadn't moved and looked back towards him. He was staring at her in shock, his jaw dropped.

"What?" She asked, oblivious. Hiccup shook his head, as if to regain control of himself.

"Nothing, sorry"

"It's definitely something"

"No, really..."

"Hiccup... Out with it. What is it?" She said in a warning tone that he recognized instantly. It was her 'stop giving me crap and spit it' tone.

"Uh... W-well, don't take this the wrong way, it's not like it bothers me, really... I guess I just wasn't expecting you to j-just get up and get dressed in front of me... thought you were going to ask me to look away or something..." near the end of his words, Hiccup knew his face was impossibly red, even for his tanned skin. He hadn't been looking at her through the whole of it, but when he dared to do so, he saw Elsa was more or less the same.

"Oh...my god!" she exclaimed, covering her face with her hands "I'm acting like such a slut! What is wrong with me?!"

"No no no no! Don't say that, that's nonsense!" he panicked, jumping out of the bed and rushing towards her. He gently grabbed her wrists and pulled her hands away from her face, noticing the sparkle of unshed tears in her eyes "El, don't beat yourself up! I was just surprised, really! Mainly because… I just… wasn't expecting you to feel that comfortable around me. It's actually pretty cool that you do" he whispered that last sentence, looking at her with a tender smile on his lips. Elsa stared back, her eyes still teary. He could feel her shiver slightly through his hold on her wrists.

"I'm… I just… why do you even like me?! I'm such a mess! I don't know how to be in a relationship, Hiccup! You deserve so much better than me!"

"Elsa, you're making a big deal out of something that isn't!" he exclaimed, not letting go of her wrists, trying to hide his own panic "I don't understand, I thought you'd laugh at me for what I just said..." he trailed off, something clicking in his mind.

And that's when it hit him, how damaged Elsa was when it came to relationships. She had told him, of course, the whole story behind her insecurities, but she hadn't cried at that time. She'd looked like she was about to, but she'd stood her ground. She'd feigned strength. He'd labelled the whole situation as something in the back of her mind that made her overly cautious, but he hadn't thought it would get in her way like what he was witnessing now.

She looked truly scared, even if the person standing in front of him was just him. Even if the embarrassing comment had come out of him. He had truly thought he was going to get laughed at, receiving a _Come on Hiccup, get a grip! We just saw each other anyway! _comment from her.

"Elsa..." he whispered, gently placing another kiss on her forehead "I don't think you are even capable of doing something that would make me think less of you. And don't tell me I deserve better or anything like that. There's no better than you. I only see you, I like everything about you"

They stood there in silence, looking at each other. Hiccup holding Elsa's hands in his.

He was surprised at how not-awkward their silences were, even after all that had happened. Their friendship was apparently too strong to be fazed by them spontaneously sleeping together, which was weird but rather pleasant.

"You're the same" she whispered suddenly, her face blank.

"Uh?"

"You're the same as me. You just got up and ran here and… you're the same" Hiccup understood what she meant and chuckled. In his panic, he had jumped out of bed naked as well, which now that the mood had lightened, was very awkward and funny.

She giggled, he chuckled some more, and soon they were laughing together.

After their laughter had died out, they smiled at each other and silently got dressed. When Hiccup looked at her again, she had her hair down and was braiding it in front of the mirror. He couldn't help but stare, suddenly realizing he had never seen her hair down. She always wore it in that tight braided bun and, even though she looked elegant and cute in it, she looked absolutely breath taking with her hair a little more loose.

He walked over to her and touched her wrist when she had finished her braid and was about to restore her bun.

"You should leave it like that"

"What?"

"Your hair. Leave it like that. It looks nice in a side braid"

"You think so?"

"Yeah… honest" he said with a smile, tugging at her braid gently. She smiled back.

"Thanks... though I think I'll still go for my usual bun. It's comfortable" she said, picking up her braided hair to finish her styling. Hiccup nodded and grabbed the box of pizza, which was still on the floor where they'd left it. He opened it to peek inside.

There were two pieces left.

"I'm going to reheat the last two slices of pizza, want one?"

"Yes!"

...

She made her best effort to open the door without making any noise. It was already past midnight and Elsa was only just getting back home. If there was something she didn't need right that moment was to wake Anna up.

She had only just managed to close the door in the dark, though, when the lights turned on.

Anna was sitting on the armchair in their living room, arms crossed and glaring at her. Behind her, Merida and Rapunzel stood equally crossing their arms, like a couple of terrifying bodyguards.

"Where have you been, Elsa?! You haven't answered any of my whatsapp messages!" she demanded. Elsa stood there in shock, her back pressed against the entrance door.

She didn't know what to do, she was a terrible liar, and she certainly was in no mood to discuss what had happened between her and Hiccup.

"We also tried calling Hiccup and got no answer" Rapunzel said, an eyebrow arched at her. Elsa gulped.

"S-sorry... we were kinda... busy. We had... uh... homework... for, uh-"

"Stop it, Elsa, you can't lie" Anna reminded with a sigh. Elsa sighed as well.

She knew she was doomed.

"Ok, spill the beans, lassie. What happened?" Merida inquired, looking like she was trying her best to keep a serious face, but really just wanted to laugh.

"I... I, uh... Hiccup and I were just, ah... we had stuff to talk about" she tried. Anna stood up with a jump, her face frozen in shock.

"YOU SLEPT WITH HICCUP?!"

"Aw, come on, how can you possibly know that?!" Elsa groaned. Anna was more perceptive than she was, but sometimes it was plainly ridiculous.

Rapunzel and Merida looked at each other in shock, dropping their arms to their sides.

"You did what?!" they said in unison. Elsa rubbed her temple.

"Please don't make me do this right now..."

"Oh no, that's your punishment for getting home late and without texting us. You are going to spill..." Anna threatened.

"...every single detail..." Rapunzel continued.

"...right NOW!" ended Merida. Elsa wanted to cry.

_**This is going to be a long night**_

...

Jack dropped his backpack next to his usual seat in the classroom. Elsa wasn't there yet, and she had five minutes before class started.

_**Weird, she's always early**_ he thought, staring at the door without realizing it.

She got to the classroom barely in time. To his unpleasant surprise, though, this time she'd arrived alongside his nemesis: Hiccup Haddock.

They were both holding coffee cups and chatting happily, and none of them looked at him as they crossed the classroom and got to their seats. Only after she was sitting at her usual desk did Elsa acknowledge his presence. She smiled at him pleasantly, which made his heart jump.

She never smiled at him in class, but then again, she was always expecting him to hit on her, which he had now promised to stop doing.

"Good morning, Jack! How are you?" she said. Jack beamed at her, and he could see Hiccup's confused scowl at her sudden positive attitude towards him.

"Morning, Elsa. I'm perfectly fine, how about you?"

"Great, though I didn't get much sleep. My sister kept bugging me until very late last night. She's very gossipy"

"Oh? I didn't know you had a sister"

"Right! Her name is Anna and she just started college this semester"

"Cool. You live with her?"

"Yeah, it's me, Anna and my cousin Rapunzel" she said, at which Jack arched an eyebrow.

"Rapunzel? What kind of name is Rapunzel?"

"Ah, don't be mean. My aunt and uncle are very old school"

"More like ANCIENT school" he corrected. Elsa laughed and have him a playful shove on the shoulder.

"Shut up!"

"Did I miss something here?" Hiccup finally brought himself to ask. He'd been watching the exchange with increasing anxiety. Elsa turned in her seat to look at him.

"Oh, Jack and I got to talk yesterday and he promised to behave, right Jack?" she said the last couple of words glancing back at Jack with a grin. Jack nodded.

"Elsa and I are friends now" he explained. Hiccup arched an eyebrow incredulously.

"So you're saying you're not going to be a jackass like you've been up until now and you're not going to keep hitting on my girlfriend?"

"Hiccup!" chastised Elsa, looking at him in disbelief.

Jack, on the other hand, looked like if someone had poured a bucket of freezing water over his head.

"Your... what?"

"Mr. Haddock, Mr. Overland and Miss Snowfield!" Mr. Weselton suddenly interrupted, causing them to jump and turn to the front "do you three mind postponing your conversation for later, maybe when I'm done with my class?"

"Sorry, Mr. Weselton" the three mumbled in unison, blushing at the public reprimand they had received.

_**Friends my ass! **_Thought Hiccup, glaring in Jack's direction _**The look on his face when I said Elsa's my girlfriend is proof enough of his intentions!**_

_**Why is Hiccup so jealous of Jack? I've never given him reason to think I would prefer Jack over anybody, let alone him!**_ Thought Elsa, feeling a little hurt.

_**GIRLFRIEND?!**_ exclaimed Jack in his mind, sulking about the recent news _**How the hell did that happen?! This dude actually freed himself from the friend zone?! Damn him!**_

Their thoughts pretty much followed the same pattern all through class, and when the bell announced the end of their torture, Jack bolted up from his seat and out of the classroom, not looking back.

...

Hiccup and Elsa sat in silence at the cafeteria after their morning classes, neither of them looking at the other. Elsa was shyly sipping from her usual coffee, stalling glances at Hiccup, who was angrily munching on a large chocolate chip cookie.

When she got tired of the awkward silence, she cleared her throat, getting his attention instantly.

"Hey, uh... Hiccup? Maybe this dating thing wasn't the best idea..."

That softened his expression rather forcefully.

"What? Why are you saying that? Is it because of Overland?!" he panicked, half hurt and half angry. Elsa stared at him in disbelief.

"Jack had nothing to do with this! Why would you even bring him up?! When have I done something that would even hint at me betraying you?!"

"You and Overland became friends and you didn't say anything? I thought we told each other everything!"

"I'm sorry for forgetting to tell you about it! If you remember, we were kind of busy yesterday!" by now, tears were starting to form in Elsa's eyes. Hiccup saw this and immediately lost his will to fight "Hiccup, I can't lose you... You're my best friend"

"No, no" Hiccup got up from his chair across the table and dragged it over to sit right next to her, quickly bringing her into a right embrace that she didn't fight "that's not gonna happen, I'm so sorry, El. I was just... jealous. I overreacted, I don't know how to handle this..." he admitted, burying his nose into her hair.

"Are you sure we're doing the right thing?" she asked, wiping away her tears with the back of her sleeve. Hiccup shrugged.

"No, I'm not. But I'm definitely sure I don't want to give up. And... Really, if you think about it, this was all your fault"

"What?!"

"Of course! I mean, if you didn't look so gorgeous, I wouldn't have to worry so much about guys noticing it. So stop it!" he said with a half grin, making Elsa giggle.

"Hiccup..."

"No seriously, stop it! Elsa, stop! No! You're too beautiful, wait! Stop being so hot, damnit!" by now, Elsa was laughing openly at Hiccup's pretend-mad faces. She gave him a playful shove on the chest.

"See? This is what I need, I need my friend"

"You're not going to lose me, El, I'm sorry for snapping at you like that"

"I'm sorry too" she replied, hugging him back tightly. They both sighed in relief, and then chuckled as they noticed it.

"Aaaaaaawwww, you guys look so cute!" came a voice behind them. Elsa cringed.

"Oh god..."

"Hey, Anna, good- Ow! What was that for?!" Hiccup's greeting was interrupted by Anna slapping him hard on the shoulder. Anna placed her hands on her hips and smirked.

"That's for randomly sleeping with my sister!"

"Anna!" Elsa complained.

"You told her?!" Hiccup asked in disbelief.

"Don't blame her" came Rapunzel's voice as she joined them as well, pulling a chair to sit at their table "We kinda got it out of her, she didn't want to tell"

"Yeah, we would've used violence if it was necessary" said Merida, who came carrying a carton tray with smoothies. Anna pulled two extra chairs and they both say at the table as well. The three of them each grabbed a smoothie from the tray, making themselves at home.

Hiccup groaned.

"I would prefer it if you girls stayed out of my sex life" he said, running a hand through his hair in exasperation. His other arm remained firmly around Elsa's shoulders.

"We couldn't care less about your sex life, Hiccup! I mean, eew!" exclaimed Anna in disgust. Merida nodded.

"Yeah, it's not your sex life we care about, it's Elsa's"

"Not our fault they're currently the same" Rapunzel pointed out. Elsa groaned and hid her face in her hands.

"Kill me, kill me now" she said.

Unknown to her, Jack was thinking the exact same thing, but for very different reasons.

The building the cafeteria was in had three additional floors, the bottom one being the biggest (where the cafeteria was located). The other floors had were more like hallways of special purpose classrooms on one side, and a handrail/balcony from where you could see the bottom floor on the other side.

Jack was currently standing on the second floor, leaning against the handrail, looking depressed. He could see Elsa and Hiccup cuddling together while they chatted with the other girls. He tightened his grip on the handrail as he saw Hiccup kiss Elsa's head.

"I don't care. I don't care at all. I don't even know her enough" he muttered to himself, trying to see logic. It really want logical that he cared so much, but he did, and it baffled him. What was it about her? Why was Elsa so special?

He pulled his cellphone out if his pocket and checked the time. He glanced at Elsa one last time before turning around and going through the glass door that read "Student Counseling"

"Hi, Jackson" said the multicolored hair woman behind the counter. Jack nodded.

"Hey, Thiana, I got an appointment for today"

"Oh, yes, Mr. North is expecting you, go ahead"

Jack crossed the room to reach another door on the opposite side. He walked inside, clearly used to doing so by now. There was a discreet name badge on the door:

_Dr. Nicholas North_

**Psychiatrist**

...

...

The plot thickens! If you have time to do so, please review :)


	4. Meaningful Afternoon

Before I start today, I want to clarify something: Elsa wasn't a virgin. Hiccup did NOT take her virginity, ok? I got a comment about this and it was a bit confusing. If it was like that, I would've made a bigger deal out of it. But they were both already past that, that's why the moment was what it was.

With that said, I'm not done with the Hiccelsa, you've been warned. This story is slow and complicated. Jelsa will increase slowly as well, but Hiccup is not going to just disappear. If that bothers you, just don't read it. I don't care much for negative opinions on this topic because I kinda warn you all the time and on the summary. Don't take things so seriously, guys, let's just have fun with this :)

Anyways, all things aside, I'm sort of in love with this story and where it's going (I'm putting a lot of heart into it). So your reviews mean a lot :) thank you all!

…

...

"Hey, Elsa!" Jack called, rushing to catch up with her. Elsa smiled at him.

"Hey, Jack, going to class?"

"No, actually I'm all done for today" he said as he matched her page walking next to her. The hallways were very crowded, so he had to make an effort to stay by her side and not bump into anyone.

"Cool, me too. Hiccup still has to go through a two-hour lab so I'm heading home"

Jack tried to act as if Elsa hadn't said the name of the person he currently hated the most.

"I'll walk you. Do you live near by?"

"Not within walking distance, I need to take the bus, but I do live fairly nearby. You don't need to walk me, though"

"I don't need to, but I want to" he said with a wink. Elsa arched an eyebrow.

"Are you flirting again?"

"Aw, no! I'm not! Can't I just do something nice for my friend? Remember, we're friends now!" he pointed out. Elsa looked dubious for a moment, so he added "besides, it'll give us some time to talk about whatever"

"Mmm... Ok. We haven't really talked, I suppose"

"Really talked? What do you mean? Should I be worried? Oh no..." He joked, placing his palm on his chest, feigning horror "... Are you breaking up with me? How dare you, Elsa Snowfield?! We're not even dating!" he said this last sentence with an unusually high pitched voice that made Elsa laugh out loud.

"You're such an idiot!" she said between laughs. Jack winked at her.

"Oh, but I made you laugh, you like me" he said, bumping his shoulder against hers slightly. Elsa smiled back and bumped him with her shoulder as well.

"You're fun" she admitted casually.

"Oh, I know I'm fun. You know what's not fun, though?"

"What?"

"Going home early" he said, grabbing her hand "Come on! Those new smoothies they're selling at the cafeteria are great, I'll get you one" he decided, pulling her along through the hallways and out towards thee cafeteria.

"Jack! Jack, wait, I can go by myself, you don't have to pull my arm off!" she laughed, freeing herself from his grip and slapping his arm playfully.

...

"Yo, Hiccup!" called a blond, bohemian-looking dude sitting by the work table next to the window.

Hiccup pulled his protection goggles up and turned to look at him. He had been soldering some pieces together for his lab innovation project.

"What is it, Tuff? I'm in the middle of something"

"You know how yesterday you said you're dating that gorgeous blond from Graphic Design and we didn't believe you?"

"Yeah... and you remember me saying that I don't give a shit if you believe me or not?"

"Oh, I remember, alright. But isn't that her, the one holding hands with that white-haired dude?"

"WHAT?" Hiccup practically jumped all the way towards the window when he heard. He got there just in time to see Elsa snatch her hand away from Jack and playfully slap him, only to continue walking with him towards the special classrooms building, where the cafeteria was located. He clenched his fists at the sight of Elsa walking gladly next to that player.

Astrid came from behind him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Hiccup... calm down. You need to trust her. She wouldn't betray you..." she told him carefully. Hiccup sighed.

"I know, Astrid. It's really not that I think Elsa will do something to hurt me, but..."

"But?"

"Astrid, Elsa has issues. I mean, everyone does, but you don't know Elsa like I do. She's sweet and well-meaning, but she's been hurt before… god, whenever I think about it, I just want to hunt down that creep and tear out his-"

"Hiccup, what's your point?" she stopped him, sensing the conversation was getting dangerously sidetracked. Hiccup sighed heavily and looked away.

"My point is… I don't think Elsa really knows what she wants right now. And I'm scared" he confessed in a whisper that no one in the classroom heard but Astrid.

Astrid looked away.

If things were really as complicated as that, then he had a right to be scared.

…

"So..." Jack said, handing her a blueberry smoothie to Elsa, who took it happily "... we should totally play like… twenty questions"

"Ugh, what? Are you serious?" she replied, trying her best at a disgusted face but giving away her amusement at the idea "Why would you want to play that, I'm a boring person" she said, pulling a chair from the table she and Hiccup usually occupied by the window without thinking, and taking a seat.

Jack pulled the chair on the opposite side and sat as close to her as he could, placing his cookies and cream smoothie on the table, not really caring about it.

"Ok, so let's just talk about anything, just tell me about yourself. I don't even know what your major is"

"Oh, that's no secret. It's graphic design"

"Cool. Want to know what my major is?"

"English literature"

"What?" Jack seemed genuinely taken aback by this, staring at her with wide eyes "How do you know that? Do I have it tattooed on my forehead or something?"

"No, no, nothing like that! Although the cheesy Charles Dickens line was a big hint"

"Oh, that… sorry about that" he said, scratching the back of his neck shyly. Elsa giggled.

"Whatever, actually the one who told me was Hiccup"

"What? How would he know?" that came out angrier than he would've liked, causing Elsa to recoil nervously in her seat.

"Well, you were late in coming in to class the first day, and Mr. Weselton immediately called you by your name. I took notice of this, and Hiccup mentioned you might be an English Literature student, since he knew Mr. Weselton was a regular teacher for those students"

"Oh" that was a hundred percent logical and now he felt stupid snapping at her "Makes sense, I guess" was all he added.

Elsa took another sip from her smoothie.

"You don't like Hiccup, do you? I mean, I wouldn't blame you, he hasn't been exactly civil to you..."

"Let's not go there" he said dismissively, waving a hand to signal the topic as non-important "He's your friend-"

"Boyfriend" Elsa corrected with a half smile. Jack cringed.

"... ok, he's your _boyfriend_, so I just won't say anything mean about him. That should be enough, right?"

"That'll do, yes" she replied, accepting this.

"Ok, now you answer me this... How come you never wear your hair down? You look like you have long hair, or at least your bun looks intricate enough for someone with long hair..."

"Oh, that... Hiccup said something similar the other day... I don't know, I don't feel comfortable with my hair down. It draws too much attention, I guess, and I really don't want that" she said, shyly tucking a strand of her blond hair behind her ear. Jack had to clench his fists to keep himself to touching her hair himself.

"Mmm… I haven't figured you out, yet"

"Uh?"

"Well, you come off as shy at first, but then suddenly you do something that gives the impression of you being a very forward, confident person. And then suddenly, a topic arises (random topic, at that) that makes you all shy again"

"I'm not forward at all!" she exclaimed, genuinely surprised "I actually care a great deal about not making myself very noticeable. Girls in my class… they… how do I say this?" she started fidgeting, and that made Jack uneasy.

"Elsa… do they bully you? The girls in graphic design?" he asked, suddenly worried and angry at the same time. Elsa shook her head.

"No, they don't bully me. But I know they judge me. I mean… I don't judge THEM, certainly. They are all really into fashion and brands and stuff like that. If you think about, it's only normal. Graphic design has a lot to do with branding, and they take it seriously, but I didn't choose graphic design because I wanted to go into branding or packaging design. I'm very interested in editorial design… or interface design. And, well..."

"...you don't have any friends, do you?" he asked, cautiously. Elsa was suddenly very interested in looking at the table.

"No..." she admitted in a whisper "that's why I hang around Hiccup all the time, since even before we started dating, which was not long ago. He's my best friend. I also hang out with my sister and cousin, and another friend, Merida, from Business. I'm not complaining, really. It's just hard to find teammates when there's homework and projects. Most of the time I do them by myself" he could tell she was trying to dismiss the whole thing as something normal, something she was used to. Without thinking, he placed his hand on top of hers.

"Don't pay attention to them" he realized he was whispering for some reason. She smiled sadly at him.

"I don't. I'm happy with the friends I have" she whispered back.

"Well, now I'm one of them" he whispered again, his smile widening. She giggled.

"That you are" she said, now in a more normal tone of voice "Thanks, Jack"

"I didn't really do anything"

"You listened" she pointed out "and you're neglecting your smoothie because of that"

"God forbid I continue to neglect my smoothie" he chuckled, grabbing it a taking a long sip as if to prove his point. Elsa smiled.

"Ok, forget difficult topics. What else do you want to know?"

"Are you a virgin?"

"JACK!" she shrieked, slapping his shoulder. Jack laughed

"What? I'm being nosy, I know, but you asked for what I wanted to know! Relax, I understand if you are a virgin. I think it's cute"

"Mmph… well I'm not! I know I look like a nerd, but I'm not!" Elsa replied with indignation. Jack arched his eyebrows at her.

"You're not? Really?"

"NO! Stop being so skeptical, I bet you ain't one either!"

"Well… no. But I thought… I mean, you seem so… "

"Nerdish? Plain? Naive?" Elsa challenged, squinting his eyes at Jack with each word. He smiled at her.

"Pure" he completed, making her blush and look away.

"Oh, shut up, you're embarrassing me"

"Nothing to be embarrassed about, I still think you're a very pure, gentle girl. I think nothing you do will be able to change that" Elsa turned to look at him when she heard this and, when her eyes met his, she couldn't see anything but honesty in them. She found she could not look away. There was something in his eyes that called to her. It was scary and thrilling.

"That's… nice of you to say"

"I mean it" he said, and then dropped his deep, meaningful tone to complete his sentence with "And there's nothing wrong with having sex, so if you ever want a friend with benefits, I'm willing to make that sacrifice"

Elsa slapped him on the shoulder again, though not as hard as she probably should have.

"You're such a pig" she said, half-smiling. Jack grinned.

"Ok, ok, now you need to ask me something. Unless, of course, you don't care..." he said, feigning an exaggerated depression, earning himself a playful shove from Elsa.

"I'll ask, I'll ask! Don't go crying on me!"

"Awww, are you prejudiced against men who cry? That's very mean of you!"

"Ugh, drop that. So... tell me, Jack, do you have any siblings?"

Jack's face went suddenly pale and he just stared at her for a moment. He opened his mouth and immediately closed it for three consecutive times, and Elsa could see he was debating himself whether or not to say what was on his mind. She was suddenly nervous.

"I'm... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No, it's ok" he said, looking down at the very interesting table "You told me something personal, I guess it's only fair..."

"You don't need to-"

"I want to tell you" he stated, looking up at her with a very serious expression "I trust you. I know I can trust you" he added, no doubt in his words. Elsa nodded expectantly, not daring to say another word.

He took a deep breath before speaking again.

"I had two younger sisters. They were twins, Sophie and Sarah. Two of the happiest kids on earth, if I may say so myself. I used to play pranks on them, sing to them (I play the guitar, another thing you probably didn't know about me), read stories to them... They were the source of my happiness. I even got into fist fights for them, when someone teased them at school.

"And then one night, my dad went to pick them up from their ice skating class... They had a terrible accident. My dad and Sophie were injured, but Sarah... she was in a comma for two weeks before she finally became the little angel she always was..."

"Oh my god, Jack..." tears were falling freely from Elsa's eyes by now "I am so sorry, I didn't know..."

"That's not all. My mom... she kinda lost it" Jack didn't know why he was still talking, he just couldn't stop himself "she blamed my dad for everything and... one day, without telling us, she left. She took Sophie and left. So... It's been just me and my father for a while now"

He was startled when Elsa touched his cheek to wipe a lonely tear that had escaped from his left eye. She was looking at him with an intensity he didn't recognize.

"Jack, that's... a lot to deal with" she said, making him laugh without humor.

"Don't tell this to anyone, but I actually go see Dr. North on a regular basis"

"The school psychiatrist?"

"He's friends with my father, so I trust him. After my mom left and took Sophie, I got a little... violent and... Gosh, Elsa, I don't even know why I'm telling you all of this, Aster is the only one who knew" he said, ruffling his hair with his hand, visibly nervous.

"Aster?"

"He's my best friend" he clarified "I'm sorry, I know I probably overdo it when I try to appear confident. I'm actually a big mess. And here I was telling YOU about how you sometimes don't appear confident yourself. I know you're going to think I'm the biggest idiot..."

To say Elsa was surprised would've been quite the understatement. She was amazed. Now she understood Jack better, how his true self had been hidden behind that Romeo facade. Now, after all he had shared with her, his face had changed. Elsa's way of seeing him had changed.

He was a different person, and she loved it.

"Jack" she said, touching his shoulder gently "I think you are very brave" she added with a knowing smile. Jack just stared at her.

"What? Brave?"

"Going through all of that and even talking about it… I think it's brave. I like you more now that I know all of that" Elsa looked away suddenly, her smile fading "I don't think you're a mess… I… well, I have my own demons, both family and non-family related"

"Issues? Elsa, if you want to talk about it, I-"

"Elsa" both of them jumped and turned around to see Hiccup standing there behind them, his expression unreadable "I'm… going home"

"Oh! Hiccup… uhm, yes" she hurried up her chair and grabbed her backpack. Hiccup raised a hand, signaling for her to stop.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to" he said, again not giving away any kind of emotion. Elsa stared at him, feeling scared and a little guilty, knowing well what was going through his mind and how he was controlling all of it "I just wanted to let you know. See you tomorrow" he added, turning around and walking away.

Elsa stood there for a few seconds before throwing her backpack over her shoulder and turning towards Jack.

"I… need to go!" she blurted "I'll see you around, ok?"

"Sure, see you" was all Jack could answer before she ran off behind her boyfriend.

He dropped his head on his hands and groaned. He wanted to scream in frustration. He suddenly didn't even have the strength to hate Hiccup. It wasn't the guy's fault, after all: Elsa was just too perfect for anyone to ignore. And suddenly, he found himself understanding him.

_**If our roles were reversed, I would be the same. I would be awfully jealous**_ he thought, sighing sadly _**If Elsa was my girlfriend…**_

He clenched his fists on the table and turned to look at the almost-finished smoothie he had bought for Elsa. A couple of hours ago, he had been thinking about snatching Elsa away from her boyfriend, Hiccup Haddock. Now, though, he was not so sure.

_**What am I doing?**_

…

"Hiccup, wait!" Elsa finally caught up with Hiccup, who had walked quite fast towards his car. He stopped when he felt her hand on his arm, but didn't look back "I'm sorry! I know how that looked, but I was just talking to him, I swear!"

"El, you don't have to explain yourself, really. I know it wasn't bad" he said, turning around finally to smile weakly at her.

"So, you're not jealous?" she asked, confused. He had reacted weirdly, after all.

Hiccup shook his head.

"I'm jealous as hell, I'm just not mad at you" he confessed. Elsa smiled at him.

"Aww Hiccup, I'm still so sorry, I don't want to hurt you" she said, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. Reluctantly, Hiccup hugged her back and closed his eyes.

He loved her… so much. And he knew she loved him as well. Though, was that love what he wanted it to be? Were they doing the right thing, or were they just fooling themselves?

He had seen the way she looked at Jack. It was different. Was it good or bad different? He was so confused…

Elsa pulled away a bit, still in his arms, and looked at him with a smile. He smiled back, though the silence disturbed him a bit. When they were just friends, they never ran out of things to say to each other, and now they seemed to always be lost in silence. Was it normal? Were they just getting used to being what they now were?

He leaned down and captured her lips with his, suddenly realizing this was the first time they kissed since that day they'd spontaneously slept together. He kissed her slowly, pouring all of his feelings into it, drowning in her closeness. She dipped her head to the side and they kissed with urgency, as if trying to prove something, to make a statement. At least Hiccup knew he was doing so, even if he wasn't so sure of what that statement was.

When they broke away, they were breathing heavily and unable to fully open their clouded eyes.

The next time Hiccup spoke, his voice was husky and intense.

"Your place or mine?" he asked, and Elsa knew what her choice meant. She smiled.

"Yours"

…

…

Thank you for reading! And thanks a LOT for reviewing! :D


	5. Second Thoughts

Hi again! Wow, this story is making some serious progress! I really like where this is taking me.

Again, thanks for all of your reviews! Including that really weird and long one, it made me laugh xD so I hope you were trolling. By the way, one of you guest reviewers actually kind of guessed an important part of this chapter, it surprised me :P in a good way.

On with the story, then! I'm not even going to bother warning you about the Hiccelsa anymore xD you know the drill.

…

...

It had been three weeks since the time Elsa and Jack had their very deep talk. Midterm exams were upon them now and they hadn't had much time to talk other than during Global Studies, which wasn't a lot since Mr. Weselton didn't take kindly to students talking during his lessons.

Elsa and Hiccup were doing a bit better, now a little more used to being boyfriend and girlfriend. They'd started spending more time together again, since they weren't quite seeing each other like they used to when they were just friends.

Now, though, everything Elsa could focus on was studying for the exams.

She now found herself running through the hallways, rushing to the library. She wanted to get there fast to get ahold of a study desk. Exams always made the library overly crowded and the study desks increasingly unavailable.

When she turned around a corner, though, she found herself tripping over something. Her notebooks fell to the ground, and she faceplanted quite painfully.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry! Are you OK?" hearing this made her realize she hadn't tripped over something, but someone. She turned around and looked up to see a kid no older than fourteen years old, with messy black hair and big kind eyes. He was crouching in front of her, offering a helping hand.

She took it and got up carefully.

"Thanks, don't worry, I think I'm OK" she assured. The kid nodded.

"I'm glad to hear that" he said with a smile "I'm sorry, I was in a hurry to get to the lab"

"Oh, are you visiting someone?" Elsa asked. The kid blushed.

"Uh, no. I... Actually, I'm a student"

"What? But you're a kid!"

"Thank you for noticing" he replied, looking a bit annoyed "Yes, I'm a lot younger, but I'm… ahead of kids my age. I'm studying Robotics Engineering" he said proudly. Elsa smiled.

"Sorry, didn't mean to offend you. It is amazing that you managed to get into college at your age, you must be really smart" she said, smiling widely at him. The boy blushed and looked down.

"Well, sort of" he said, fidgeting with the cords of his jacket. Elsa offered a hand towards him.

"I'm Elsa, by the way" she greeted. He shook her hand and smiled.

"I'm Hiro" he replied. Just as he said this, though, the bell rang, signaling the start of another class. Elsa slapped a hand to her forehead.

"Oh no, I'm late. Now I'm not going to have my own desk at the library…" she lamented out loud. Hiro shrugged.

"You can come with me to the lab" he offered "Me and my friends are working there on our projects, but there's plenty of space since there aren't many robotics students. You can always crash there for a while and work on your stuff"

"Really? That is so nice of you, Hiro! I would love that!" she said enthusiastically, making him blush again.

"Well, I'm always open to making new friends, since not many people take me seriously" he said as he started walking towards the lab, followed closely by Elsa.

"I'm sorry to hear that, but I'm happy to make new friends as well. I don't have a lot"

"Really? You? I find that hard to believe!" he exclaimed, truly surprised at the statement. Elsa giggled.

"It's not that bad. The few friends I have are true friends" she clarified, making him smile widely.

"I know what you mean. I guess that's probably true for me as well. Oh, here we are!" he said, pushing the glass door open for Elsa to walk inside "Welcome to the robotics lab! Sorry for the mess, let me take you to a clean desk"

"Woah..." she looked around in amazement, taking it all in. The place was bright white and not very big, but it was full of interesting things. In a far corner, there was a tall, broad-shoulder guy working on something that looked like a lightsaber, there were a couple of girls on the other side working on things she didn't understand, and then there was…

"Jack!" she exclaimed, waving her hand at the white-haired guy who was having a round of arm-wrestling with a hippie-looking brunette guy that looked all kinds of funny. Hearing his name, though, he got distracted and lost quite painfully.

"Fred! That wasn't fair, I got distracted!" he complained, looking back at the guy in front of him. Fred just shrugged, a smug smile plastered on his face.

"You snooze, you lose!" he started simply "I won fair and square, man!"

"Ah, think what you want" replied Jack, half angry and half amused. He then turned towards Elsa again "So, Elsa, what brings you here?"

"She's my guest" said Hiro before Elsa could reply "she needed a place to study. You guys know each other?"

"We have a class together" Elsa explained. Hiro accepted this and proceeded to introduce everyone.

"Hey guys, this is my new friend, Elsa. Elsa, these are my friends. The big one over there is Wasabi"

"Sup!" the mentioned guy waved his hello.

"The tall girl is Honey Lemon, the black haired one is GoGo"

"Hi" GoGo said without taking her eyes from what she was doing.

"Nice to meet you!" said the tall, bubbly one with enthusiasm.

"And then there's Fred and Jack, but they're not from our major, they don't do anything, they just hang around here" Hiro finished with a grin.

"Hey, wait a minute there, kiddo!" exclaimed Jack offended "I study something! It's not robotics but still!"

"Meh, I actually don't do a thing, so whatever" said the guy named Fred with a laugh. Elsa giggled. They made an odd couple, Jack and Fred.

"It's nice to meet all of you" Elsa said "And I hope I'm not inconveniencing"

"Oh, not at all! Any friend of Hiro is our friend!" the girl called Honey Lemon stated with enthusiasm. She kinda reminded Elsa of her sister, Anna "If anyone is inconveniencing around here, it's those two" she said, pointing at Jack and Fred.

"Hey!" Jack complained.

"I don't care, I still come" said Fred dismissively.

"You can use the desk over there, Elsa" Hiro indicated.

"Thank you so much, Hiro" she said and went to place her backpack and notebooks on the desk he had offered.

She did some studying and then suddenly ended up chatting with everyone. She learned that Jack and Fred had become friends as randomly as she and Hiro had, and he had started coming to the lab not even a month ago.

She also learned about Hiro's project, a personal health program robot called Baymax. It was, sadly, the continuation of his brother's work after he died. Hiro still couldn't say a lot about it, but Honey Lemon filled her on and told her it had happened just last year during a fire.

She had chatted with Jack as well, of course. He had talked about his own project, not wanting to be left behind by the tech guys. Elsa didn't know, but Jack was actually a year older than her, going through his fifth semester and working on a novel. He was writing a story during World War II, which he was doing a lot of research for, and she found that very interesting.

The thought that came to her mind then, though, made her feel guilty. She didn't know what kinds of projects Hiccup was currently working on. Why didn't she? She used to always know everything about him. It occurred to her that now, with their kind of relationship, they weren't as talkative as they used to be. She frowned. What had changed?

"Elsa?" Hiro called, suddenly interrupting her worrying train of thought "You look disturbed all of a sudden. Is everything OK?"

"Oh! Yes, sorry, I just remembered something" she said in dismissal, though Jack didn't buy it. He could see she was worried about something, but he knew it wasn't the time to ask.

Hiro, on the other hand, just smile and nodded. He wasn't as perceptive.

"So we're going to watch movies at Wasabi's place this weekend, Elsa. You want to come?" Honey Lemon said suddenly. Elsa smiled.

"I'd love to!"

...

"Hey, Hiccup! We're gonna go to that new pizza place downtown on Saturday, wanna come?" Astrid asked as she and Hiccup walked towards the cafeteria. He looked dubious.

"I don't know, Astrid. That boyfriend of yours doesn't like me and it makes for an unpleasant evening"

"He's not my boyfriend anymore" she corrected, waving a hand at him on dismissal. Hiccup looked at her with concern.

"What? Why? What happened?"

"Do you even have to ask? I don't know why I dated him ever. He's so macho all the time! I couldn't stand him anymore. It's not like we spent a lot of time together anyway, he just liked to brag about having a girlfriend and was jealous of everyone around me"

"Well, I'm just glad you're not upset or anything"

"Nah, it's his loss. And he's not going on Saturday, just Tuff, Ruff and Fishlegs"

"Oh, then I'm there. Is it OK if Elsa comes?"

"Sure! We haven't actually hanged out with you guys as a couple, now that I think about it"

"No...I guess not" he said, turning serious all of a sudden. Astrid hesitated.

"Is...is everything alright with you two?" she asked. Hiccup shrugged.

"I... don't know. I'm... Astrid, I'm starting to think... I just miss my friend" her admitted. Astrid nodded.

"You're starting to think you guys were better off as friends, aren't you?" she guessed. Hiccup looked at her blankly for a moment before getting himself to answer that question.

"Probably" he replied.

They were by now at the cafeteria, so he sat at the usual table, Astrid taking the seat across from him. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

"Don't get me wrong, I do like Elsa and have strong feelings for her, it's just..." he groaned, finding himself at a loss of words.

Astrid remained patiently silent.

"I really like her... and I'm attracted to her, no doubt there... but..."

"I get it, Hiccup, really" she suddenly interrupted, taking pity on his growing uneasiness "You don't have to find the words to tell me, it's Elsa you're gonna have to explain this to"

Hiccup sighed.

"I made a mess of everything"

...

Elsa was silently walking back home. She'd taken the bus and was now walking the extra couple of streets it took to get to the apartment building she lived at. Jack had offered to walk with her but she'd asked to be left alone.

He hadn't pushed her on that, very unlike him.

She missed Hiccup. The more she thought about it, the more she knew. She didn't miss him in that moment, in a corny mind if sentiment. She missed being his pal, joking around, eating pizza like she was another guy. She missed not being so freaking self conscious around him.

When she opened the door and walked into the apartment with those thoughts filling her mind, Anna and Rapunzel turned to look at her with concern.

"Hey" was all Elsa planned to say before heading to her room.

Anna stopped her on the way, gently placing a hand on get forearm.

"Elsa... We need to talk"

...

"You seem different, Jack" the tall, imponent Dr. Nicholas North commented as Jack walked in and left his backpack next to the couch he always say on during their sessions.

The white haired boy stated at him in confusion.

"Different? How so?"

"I've seen you more relaxed lately" Jack had to laugh at this. He left himself drop back on the couch, feeling exhausted. He'd spent the last three hours at the library, making some major progress on his novel.

"Relaxed? Believe me, I'm everything BUT" he said "I feel like I'm behind on everything! I'm distracted all the time!"

"You really don't see it?" Dr. North asked, sitting on his usual armchair "This has nothing to do with your school work. You haven't been overly angry or aggressive lately, have you?"

Jack considered this for a moment. He commonly snapped at the smallest provocation, but his negative thoughts had certainly decreased. He blushed.

"I... I guess my mind's been otherwise occupied" he said. North smiled.

"Happy thoughts, are they? Have you accomplished something, or made any new friends? Did you join a club like I suggested?"

"Uhmmm... it's...it's this girl..." he confessed, blushing a brighter shade of red, hating his pale skin for he knew it made his blushing more obvious.

"Oh? You're dating someone?"

Jack snorted.

"Yeah, I wish" he replied in a self-deprecating tone "She already has a boyfriend"

"And... you've been thinking about her?" North asked cautiously. He found the fact that she already had a boyfriend rather depressing. After all, he'd grown to care a great deal about Jack and he hated to think his happiness was so close and yet so far at the same time.

Jack looked deep in thought for a moment before speaking.

"I've realized something about myself lately, and I think it's because of Elsa"

"You mean you had some sort of epiphany?"

"I'm not sure..."

"Well, try to explain it, it may help"

"Mmm..." Jack frowned. This was going to be hard "when I met Elsa, I tried to hit on her like I would've with any other girl I superficially liked. She blew me of rather harshly and, at first, that made it a challenge.

"I kept trying for a month. I hadn't mentioned it here because the truth is I was rather embarrassed about it, like I suddenly wasn't able to accomplish something that I normally didn't consider a big deal. I didn't see it like this at first, but now I understand that it helped me learn something important about her: she respected herself. Also, she was way smarter than I originally thought. I guess I kinda liked that as well.

"She was starting to really hate me then so I talked to her, convinced her that I was actually interested in getting to know her and wanted to be her friend. That last part was a lie, obviously, I just wanted her to lower her defenses. Which she kinda did, though I was a little too late. Shortly after that I found out she had started dating her best friend, Haddock"

"You know the guy?" asked North. Jack nodded.

"The three of us are, by chance, together in Global Studies. I used to really hate the guy, but the more I see him, I've come to realize he is actually very good to Elsa. Hell, I hate to admit this but, if Elsa wasn't in the picture, I might even like the guy. At first, though, the feeling of being in a competition came back. Suddenly, it was me against him and I thought I could snatch Elsa away from him. The more I actually spoke to Elsa, though, I came to realize that she isn't just some girl you get to boost your ego. She's... she's so much more than that. She's kind, smart, brave... I don't even know how brave, but I feel like she carries demons that no sweet girl like her should need to carry.

"You really do care about her" North observed, genuinely amazed. Just three months ago, if someone had told him Jack would express himself this way about a woman, he would've laughed.

Jack nodded.

"I see that now. I care. I care SO much! So much that it's eating me alive. I don't even know if I like the feeling, though. I feel at peace when she's around, but when she's not, I'm dying inside. I hate thinking that she's probably off with Haddock, being happy, probably kissing or sleeping with him. At the same time though, I just hope she's happy" he confessed, burying his face in his palms "I don't know what to do"

"Jack" North started, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder "Be patient with yourself. I think that, on a personal level, there has been a big breakthrough for you. You did say you learned something about yourself with all of this, didn't you?"

"I learned..." Jack started, raising his face to look at him with intensity "I learned that I used to really hate women"

North nodded, not wanting to interrupt him. Jack sat up straight, turning his gaze towards the window. It was starting to rain.

"I think I was hurt" he said, his voice suddenly sounding far away to him, like if someone else was talking rather than himself "I hated my mother and I blocked Sophie and Sarah because it hurt too much, so I started to take it out on people. On girls my age. I never really had meaningful relationships, and I didn't want them. I wanted Elsa to be another one of those girls who just took my mind off things. And then suddenly she wasn't. I realize she couldn't be. I also realized I hadn't believed girls like her existed, or just didn't care" he finished, feeling like an idiot for having an intense desire to cry.

"It also made me appreciate my friends more, the ones from the Robotics lab, Honey Lemon and Gogo. They are also not bad, and they are really smart women. I guess what I'm saying is… even if I can't have what I want to have with Elsa… I'm just glad that I met her"

North smiled.

"That, Jack my friend, is what I call a breakthrough"

…

"This can't continue, Elsa" Rapunzel said seriously. Elsa stared at her with wide eyes.

"What can't continue?"

"You don't love Hiccup" Anna stated gravely. Elsa frowned.

"What do you know about my relationship with Hiccup?" she asked, sounding more annoyed than she had wanted. Anna sighed.

"Elsa, you're obviously not happy. I mean, you were happy with him at first. When you guys were friends, that is. Now, though… you always seem distant and worried. Like there's something unresolved in your life"

"Yeah, Merida was saying the same thing the other day. We are worried about you" Rapunzel added. Elsa looked at both of them in disbelief.

"Even Merida? Have the three of you been talking about this?"

"Elsa, we're truly, genuinely worried about you, it's not gossip. At first we thought you and Hiccup were great and we were happy for you. But then... please, Elsa, talk to us. We want to help" Anna assured her. Elsa sighed.

She was trying to control herself. She was quite annoyed by the fact that they had been discussing her love life behind her back, but she could also see they were worried about her.

"I don't know" she admitted finally, pinching the bridge of her nose almost painfully and forcing her eyes closed "I don't want to lose Hiccup, but I miss the way things were between us before"

"But you slept with him" Rapunzel pointed out.

"Willingly, I'd like to think..." Added Anna in a disturbed tone of voice. Elsa squinted her eyes at her.

"Yes, willingly! More than once too, thank you very much! Gee, Anna, how can you even-"

"Ok, ok! Sorry! Stupid comment!" she interrupted defensively "I actually don't think there's anything wrong with that. But you probably just needed a friend, albeit with benefits, and not a boyfriend from Hiccup. Have you ever thought of that?"

Elsa considered this. It's not like she was very experienced in love affairs. She had just had the one boyfriend before she decided to date Hiccup, and that had been two years ago. It hadn't lasted and she hadn't been willing to date at all after that trauma.

She groaned. Anna was way too perceptive and, right now, she hated that.

"I just need to talk to him..." she replied simply, a single tear escaping her eyes. She didn't know why she wanted to cry now: out of anger, frustration, sadness, guilt... The possibilities were endless.

"Oh Elsa" Anna said with sympathy, moving to hug her sister with all of her love and support. Elsa hugged her back and Rapunzel joined in hugging them both.

Elsa sighed into the warm embrace. She knew, at least, she would not be alone if anything bad happened.

...

It was late already. Astrid had stayed with Hiccup for a long while, but he'd stayed long after that, just sipping from a soda can and pondering about his situation, not really going past his uneasiness.

He saw the time on his phone: 9:48pm

"I should go" he said to himself, clutching the empty can in his hand. He got up, threw his backpack over his shoulder and dropped the crippled can inside a trash can on his way out.

It was already dark outside, but there was enough light inside the campus and people could still be seen walking around, stressed by their projects. Hiccup had already made enough progress on his, so that wasn't part of his worries.

He was walking towards his car, through the parking lot, when he bumped into someone that had made a sharp turn and was in a hurry to get somewhere. Hiccup regained his balance and suddenly found himself staring face to face with the stranger.

"Careful, man" he said plainly. The other guy nodded.

"Sorry, I wasn't looking"

"No problem" Hiccup replied with a shrug. The stranger hesitated before leaving, and looked at Hiccup once more.

"Uh... excuse me, do you by any chance know how I can find someone who goes to this college?" he asked, which made Hiccup a little uncomfortable.

"Why do you want to know?" he inquired, a little more aggressively than he originally intended. The stranger held up his hands defensively.

"I know a girl who studies here, that's all. I haven't seen her in a while and wanted to visit" he explained "I know you probably don't know her because there's lots of people here, but her name is Elsa Snowfield. Does it sounds familiar?"

Hiccup heard an alarm going off in his head. Something wasn't right here.

"What do you want with Elsa?"

"Oh, so you do know her. Do you know where I can find her?" he asked, dismissing Hiccup's previous inquiry. He wasn't having it, though.

"I'm her boyfriend. What. Do. You. WANT. With. Her?" this time he had fully intended to sound threatening. The stranger smirked, which only made Hiccup angrier.

"Wow, Elsa's standards have really gone down"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Hiccup practically yelled.

"Well, going from me to you isn't exactly an improvement"

That was all Hiccup needed to hear. He had suspected it when he started asking about Elsa, but now he knew.

This was Hans, they guy who broke Elsa's heart.

Before he knew it, his fist had connected with the guy's jaw.

…

…

Plot twist! :) (ok, not so much, but a little, maybe?)


	6. Not Enough

Ok, so I've been all silly and emotional lately and I think I'm reflecting some of that stuff here xD but it ended up going well with the story...

Thanks again for all the reviews! They mean tons!

By the way, if you haven't read Cold to the Touch by Furiyan, you're missing out big time! It's the best story ever!

Ok, on with the story :)

…

…

Jack frowned. Global Studies was almost over and there was no sign of Elsa or Hiccup.

When the class was finally over, he rushed out and ran to the cafeteria. He hoped to find them there at least.

No sign of them. Was he making too big a deal about this. After all, they were probably just skipping class together...

The thought made him feel sick.

"And how's Elsa? How is she taking all this?" he suddenly heard behind him. He froze. Elsa wasn't such a common name, they were probably talking about her.

He discreetly sat on the table he was standing next to and pretended to shuffle through the things inside his backpack.

"She's more worried about Hiccup than about the prospect of seeing Hans right now" looking sideways, he saw the red haired girl that had spoken, in a very noticeably Scottish accent.

The guy she was talking to just nodded. He was a tall, brown haired guy with a very distinctive-looking beard.

"I don't know much about this Hans character, but yeah, Hiccup is a priority. Is he still with the school nurse?"

"Yah, he spent the night there. I think he's been mostly sleeping"

Jack didn't wait to hear another word. He bolted up from his seat and out of the cafeteria.

...

Elsa sighed and brushed some hair from Hiccup's forehead, looking at him with guilt.

His face was all bruised and swollen and he was asleep again.

"I'm so sorry, Hiccup" she whispered. She hated herself for not having stayed with him. Why hadn't she? She'd practically spent the day avoiding him, and now that she realized it, she felt like she was not only the worst girlfriend, but the worst friend as well.

Hiccup stirred a bit, so she quickly withdrew her hand, careful not to wake him.

There was a discreet knock on the door that caught her attention then, followed by the nurse walking slowly into the room.

"Miss Snowfield, there's a boy here that says he's a friend of yours. His name is Jackson Overland" she whispered. Elsa nodded.

"He's ok" she said. The nurse nodded in acknowledgement and stepped out again.

Jack walked into the room soon after she'd left, and he was almost knocked over by Elsa throwing herself in his arms.

He gasped. She was trembling, burying her face in his chest.

"Jack... Hiccup is hurt. He's so hurt... and it's all my fault" she said, her voice muffled against his shirt. He hugged her tightly, resting his cheek against her hair, realizing he had never been this close to her. She smelled like fresh raspberries.

"What happened?" he asked, caressing her back in a shooting way.

"I'm not even sure" Elsa answered, and he could tell she was starting to cry, even though he couldn't see her face "People from maintenance found him on the parking lot floor, next to his car. He's been delirious... he's woken up, but he doesn't manage to make much sense before falling unconscious again. He... he did mention someone though"

"The person who did this?" Jack asked carefully. Elsa nodded.

"From what I understood, yes"

"You know this person?" he asked.

Elsa didn't answer right away. She let go of Jack and, without looking at him in the eye, turned around and walked back towards Hiccup. She pulled the chair she'd been sitting at and sat next to his bed, taking a hold of his hand.

"I know him too well" she answered "He... he was..." she sighed and shook her head, as if trying to shake off bad thoughts "He was my first"

"Your first? First wha- Oh. Oh! Your... first..." Jack grew increasingly embarrassed as he took in Elsa's words. She wasn't looking at him, so he couldn't see her face, but he could hear the pain in her words.

"I was in last year of high school. I... I've never been good at socializing, but it got worse after my parents died" Jack cringed at this. He didn't know Elsa had no parents "I even got nicknamed the Ice Queen, because I chased away my feelings and isolated myself from human contact. I had no friends, and I shut Anna and Rapunzel out. I didn't listen or talk to anyone.

"Then I met Hans. I ignored him at first, of course, but he didn't give up. He seeked my company and convinced me that I could give him a chance. That I could give people in general a chance. He asked me to be his girlfriend and I agreed. I had never had a boyfriend and, quite frankly, the idea suddenly seemed dreamy to me.

"I got carried away, I let go too much of my feelings and gave myself to Hans... and that was the end of it. I found out everything had been one big bet between him and his friends to see if he could melt the Ice Queen"

"What?" Jack couldn't believe what he was hearing. Who could be so vile as to do such a thing to a person like Elsa?

"He told everyone. They all laughed at me" she admitted, and she was openly sobbing by then. Jack made a move to approach her. He wanted to hug her and tell her everything was alright...

"Don't... cry..." came the raspy voice of Hiccup all of a sudden, his hand weakly going up to her cheek. Elsa turned to look at him with shock.

"Hiccup..."

"I started it" he said, still sounding like he was making a great effort to speak "He... told me who... he was... and I lost control... I started punching him... I wanted him dead" he stated gravely.

Elsa touched his forehead and smiled.

"You shouldn't have done that... Silly..."

"He wasn't alone" he continued, frowning slightly "he... has brothers"

"His twelve brothers were there?"

"Just two" he corrected, and then half smiled "but I was just one"

Elsa bent down and kissed him briefly on the lips. Jack had to look away.

"You're such an idiot" Elsa said, touching his forehead with hers. Hiccup smiled.

"And don't you forget it" he replied in a lot voice that made Jack feel uncomfortable. He cleared his throat.

"How are you feeling, man?" he asked. Elsa backed off a bit, and Hiccup turned towards Jack. He seemed to consider Jack's intentions for a moment.

"Like hell, but I'm guessing I also look like that" he replied. Jack smirked.

"You didn't hear it from me" he said. Hiccup chuckled.

"You should see the other guy, though" he joked. Jack nodded.

"I sure hope to see him" he stated, suddenly serious and frowning "Next time, I'll give you a hand in breaking his face"

"Guys, no" Elsa pleaded with concern "please don't get involved with Hans. I don't want you getting in trouble"

"El, what that guy did to you-"

"I know" Elsa stopped what Hiccup was going to say "I know what he did. But I never wanted revenge. I just want you guys to be alright"

Hiccup and Jack exchanged gazes and there was a sudden understanding between them that didn't need words. Elsa's words were important to them, and they weren't going to go looking for trouble.

But if they somehow ended up in front of Hans again...

Shit was going to get real.

"Hiccup!" the three of them were startled by Astrid suddenly bursting into the room, looking shaken. Jack took this as his cue.

"Well, I'm heading out. Good to see you're ok, dude" he said with a slight wave of his hand, which Hiccup returned with a nod.

Astrid hurried to Hiccup's side, barely noticing Elsa.

"You look terrible, what happened?" she asked. Hiccup proceeded to cool her in, while Elsa just stared at them. She was still feeling guilty about Hiccup's condition, plus she was now feeling extra guilty about the talk she'd had with Anna and Rapunzel. Had she actually been considering breaking up with him?

_**I'm the worst**_.

...

Honey Lemon was walking cheerfully towards the lab, carrying a raspberry smoothie and listening to some music on her iPod.

She stopped when she saw a very depressed-looking Jack sitting on the stairs that led to the library. He had his head down, his back hunched, and his arms resting on his legs. He was staring at the floor with a frown.

Putting her iPod away, she hurried towards him.

"Jack?" she called, trying to get his attention. He looked up and forced a bit of a smile that could fool no one.

"Hey there, Honey Lemon" he replied, as his friend sat down next to him.

"You look troubled. May I ask what's wrong?" she inquired. Jack sighed and looked away.

"It's not important, really"

"Jack, whatever it is that has you looking like that is important. Come on, tell me. I assure you I'm no gossip" she said this last part with a smile. Jack chuckled.

"It's not that I don't trust you. You just can't help me"

"What makes you say that?"

"You just want to make me say it, don't you?" he asked, with a mock smile on his face and an arched eyebrow over his left eye. Honey Lemon sighed.

"It's hard for me to have real sympathy for you if I don't know what your problem is"

"You don't need to worry about it, really..."

"Jack, I'm not going to just let you be depressed. Come on, just tell me! I'm not going to judge you, whatever it is that's bugging you" she assured, looking at him with eyes that were trying to portray real friendship. Jack stared at her for a moment and chuckled at his own hesitation. This was Honey Lemon, after all. She was very light-hearted, she probably wasn't going to think he was the worst person in the world.

"Well... it's... ugh, ok, I'm just gonna go out and say it, even if it sounds wrong. I'm in love with a girl who's already in a relationship with someone else" he confessed painfully, looking away to hide his blush.

Honey Lemon arched an eyebrow at him.

"Elsa has a boyfriend?" she asked in disbelief, making him fall backwards in shock.

"Why do you assume it's Elsa?!" he yelled, turning to look at her in disbelief. Honey Lemon snorted and waved a hand at him dismissively.

"Oh please, Jack, everyone in the lab noticed you're so into Elsa. Even Hiro, and he normally doesn't catch up on things like that" she informed with a smirk. Jack ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Well, that's embarrassing"

"But you're in love with her?! Really? How did that happen? Did you not know about her having a boyfriend?" to say Honey Lemon was surprised would be an understatement. Jack shook his head.

"I met Elsa before she had a boyfriend, I think. But I acted like an ass... I thought Elsa was just some pretty girl I could hook up with. That's the way I was, before I met her and really got to know her. In the time it took for me to realize she wasn't just some girl I could play with, though, the opportunity (if there ever was one) had passed. The worst part is... I think I actually like the guy. Her boyfriend, I mean. He's a good guy, I can tell, and he treats her like she deserves. He's a friend to her… something I think I failed at..." he lamented, and Honey Lemon felt her heart crush at seeing him like that.

She smiled.

"And what did Elsa say when you told her you loved her?" she asked him. Jack turned to look at her, eyes opened wide.

"You're kidding, right? I obviously haven't told her. I don't intend to do so" he replied, looking at Honey Lemon incredulously. Had she just suggested what he thought she had suggested?

Honey Lemon suddenly looked serious.

"Jack, please don't tell anyone that I told you this, but..." she hesitated a bit, looking around as though somebody might hear and think she was a horrible person "...well, Elsa isn't married, is she?"

Jack just stared at her blankly for what seemed like an eternity before he was able to speak again.

"Of all people that could've told me that, I never thought-"

"Ugh, shut up, Jack! Sorry if you think I'm a bad person, but it's true! If Elsa isn't married to anyone you still have a chance. There are people who would tell you there's a chance even then, but I respect the institution of marriage!" Honey Lemon assured him. Jack shook his head.

"Elsa will hate me if I try to hit on her again..." he said. Honey Lemon groaned in frustration.

"Are you even listening?! I didn't tell you to hit on her! I told you to tell her how you feel and why you feel that way. Let HER consider her options. If she decides she still wants the other guy, then at least you will know you did everything you could!" she said, almost looking mad at him.

Jack looked away.

"I don't know if I could take it if she rejected me. Not now" he whispered. She placed a hand on his shoulder and looked at him with a new intensity.

"If you don't tell her, you're already rejecting yourself"

...

Hiccup had received a lot of punches and kicks all over his body, but he was a strong man. He spent just another night with the school nurse before being able to go home. Elsa and Astrid were with him when he was discharged, and Astrid drove them to Hiccup's apartment.

"Take care of him, Elsa" she said when they both got out of the car. Elsa nodded in acknowledgement, and Astrid drove off.

Hiccup's face was not swollen anymore, but he had a few band aids (on his nose, cheeks and over his left eye). His abdomen was bruised, but he could ignore the amount of pain he had now.

"I'm fine, El, really. If you're tired you can go home to your sister" Hiccup said, scratching the back of his head.

They had suddenly become really awkward to each other, and it bothered him.

"No, I want to stay with you" she said, shaking her head. Hiccup nodded.

"Ok, but you have to cook something for me because I'm not up for any hard labor" he joked, trying to lighten the mood. Elsa smiled.

"Do you even have food I can cook with?" she asked, and Hiccup could tell she was already feeling more at ease.

They walked inside the apartment and Elsa dropped her backpack and hurried to the fridge, ready to explore her options. Hiccup dropped himself backwards on the bed with a grunt.

"It feels good to finally be home" he said with pleasure. Elsa giggled.

"I bet it does. The infirmary isn't all that comfortable, but it was good that your injuries were all superficial"

"I know, right? I'd rather spend time at the school infirmary than at a hospital. Though the nurse actually suggested I was moved to the hospital, but I told her i didn't want that unless it was absolutely necessary"

"If it had been necessary, I would've forced you to go"

"No doubts there" he replied with a chuckle. Elsa held up a can of tuna.

"Hiccup, I can make some tuna salad, there's not much in your fridge for anything fancier. Are you sure you don't want me to order something?"

"I'd rather eat something made by you, if you don't mind" he replied with a smile. Elsa blushed, but smiled back.

"Ok" she replied simply, and she proceeded to chop some avocado and tomatoes to mix with the tuna and some mayo. She found some crackers and added them to the side, placing the whole thing on a tray Hiccup used to bring himself food to his bed. She filled a glass with water and placed it there as well, carrying the tray over to Hiccup. He smiled.

"Only you can make tuna salad look this good" he said, picking a cracker and using it to scoop some salad to his mouth. Elsa giggled.

"You're exaggerating"

"No, I'm not. This is good" he replied, and continued to eat. Elsa sat next to him and was content to just watch him eat. She wasn't hungry at all, she just wanted to know he was ok.

In no time, Hiccup had cleaned his plate and emptied his glass of water.

"Thank you, El" he said, leaning in to give her a quick peck on the cheek. She smiled.

"You're more than welcome. I'm so glad you're better" she said earnestly.

Hiccup suddenly looked solemn, picking up the tray and placing it on the night table next to his bed.

"El, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about" he started. Elsa felt his mood and her heart started beating faster.

"Is it bad?" she asked cautiously. Hiccup considered this.

"I'm not sure" he answered in all honesty "But I know it's something I can't ignore any longer"

"Ok..."

They looked at each other for what seemed like a really long time, in silence. Hiccup swallowed loudly before he continued.

"El, we should probably break up"

Elsa just stared at him. From the movement of her eyebrows, he could tell she felt hurt.

"What?" she asked, sounding breathless "Why? Did I do something wrong?"

"Nothing like that, El, really. It's more... what I did wrong"

"You?"

"Just... think about it for a moment, ok? Haven't you felt... really awkward around me lately?" he asked in a low voice, holding her hands in his and looking up at her.

Elsa looked back at him sadly. She didn't know what to say. Of course the answer to that was yes, but the implications still scared her. She felt like she couldn't answer him without sounding like she hadn't liked being his girlfriend.

"El... It's alright. If you think about it, nothing about us being together has happened normally. We started off real fast, we decided to start dating and we never actually went on a date, we didn't even give each other pet names or texted like we needed each other or... I don't know, all that stuff that comes with dating. We didn't do any of it. I feel like we both got carried away and confused our feelings for something they weren't. I consider it mostly my fault, since I was the one eager to go out with you and I put you in a situation that didn't make it easy for you to refuse me" he explained, and for the look in his eyes, Elsa could see it really pained him to say every word.

She felt her eyes fill with tears.

"I feel... like we've lost something" she said. Hiccup nodded.

"I feel that as well. Like we aren't as good friends as we used to be. It's killing me, I want my friend back" he said. Elsa looked down.

"I want my friend back, too. I miss what we had... before everything got complicated"

"I miss it too. It's the reason I fell in love with you. I feel terrible for messing it up"

"No, you didn't mess it up! You didn't know it was going to turn out like this, Hiccup" she excused him urgently. Hiccup looked away.

"I'm still sorry, though" he whispered.

They stayed like that again, in silence, holding hands and sitting on the bed, facing each other.

"I... I actually talked about this with Anna..." she confessed suddenly, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had befallen them.

When she looked up at Hiccup again, she saw him smile. It was the most painful smile she'd seen him with.

"And you felt like you couldn't talk about it with me" he stated simply.

Elsa couldn't hold it in anymore. The tears started falling down get face and she wept openly, the sadness of it all shaking her body with each sob.

Hiccup held her in his arms without saying a word, hugging her tightly and stroking her hair. Elsa didn't hug him back. She kept her hands between their bodies, holding onto his shirt as if letting go of it would mean his disappearance.

Very slowly, he lowered them both to lay on the bed as Elsa continued to cry, and they stayed like that for almost an hour. Gradually, Elsa's sobs lessened, and her body started to relax.

It was only then she allowed herself to feel the humidity on her hair: Hiccup had been crying as well, albeit more discreetly.

"I love you" she said, her voice muffled by her buying her face into his shirt. She felt his hold on her tighten.

"I love you more" he replied "and you have no idea how I wish that was enough"

...

Jack took his usual seat at the Global Studies classroom, though today he did so reluctantly. He didn't know how to look at Elsa anymore, not without letting her know what he felt. Honey Lemon's words kept dancing around in his mind and he felt trapped.

How could he keep being casual around Elsa when he'd just realized he was so in love with her it physically hurt him? He felt like a fool. He didn't even know her that well, or did he? He felt like he did, and everytime he learned something about her it just made her all the more perfect in his eyes. He hated that. He almost wanted her to confess something awful, like a murder or something. Anything that would make him accept that she was out of his reach and that was fine.

To his surprise, Hiccup walked into the classroom. Alone.

To say he looked depressed would've been quite the understatement. He also looked like he hadn't slept a wink. Jack was glad to see his face looked a lot better, at least considering his previous injuries and ignoring the bags under his eyes. He seemed to be dragging himself across the room, almost painfully.

"Hey..." he called tentatively. Hiccup barely looked at him, and nodded slightly.

"Hey" he replied, sitting at his usual place too, behind Elsa's empty desk "Elsa's not coming today, you can go back to ignoring me"

Jack was taken aback by his aggressive statement.

"I… I wasn't going to-"

"Don't pretend you actually care about me, please" Hiccup interrupted, pinching the bridge of his nose and closing his eyes "I don't have the energy. Not today"

Jack decided to let it go for the time being, as Mr. Weselton had already made his entrance. He wasn't about to let it go completely, though. Despite what he'd initially thought, he wasn't indifferent to Hiccup's well-being. Hiccup cared about Elsa, genuinely cared, and he wasn't that different from Jack.

This train of thought made him follow the depressed-looking fellow after class.

At first, he just followed him discreetly. He figured Hiccup probably had class after Global Studies and then he would have to wait for him.

Hiccup went straight to the cafeteria, though, and Jack caught up to him as he was sitting at his usual table.

"Hey man-"

"You've been following me" Hiccup said without looking at him. Jack sighed. He couldn't tell what his mood was.

"Sorry, I know you think I don't give a shit about you. Truth is, though, I actually do" he said, pulling a chair and sitting at the table. Hiccup watched him with caution, as if he thought Jack could spontaneously jump at him and bite his head off.

"Why would you?"

"Why are you behaving like this?" asked Jack "I mean, it's not like you usually go all friendly on me, but you normally just mock me. Right now, though, you look ready to beat the hell out of me"

Hiccup sighed heavily, now just realizing he'd been holding his breath for some reason. He was tense, he knew that. He also knew why, but he didn't want to tell Jack. Not just yet, at least.

"I know, I'm sorry. I had a really… REALLY long night. Lots of things happened, things that didn't go the way I would've wanted..." he confessed, sounding a lot more approachable, but keeping some truth to himself. Jack didn't push it, though, and he didn't look like he expected him to say more, which surprised Hiccup greatly.

"Tell me about it. Lots of things haven't gone my way in a while" he said bitterly, though clearly not directing his anger at Hiccup.

"Like?"

"Well, you probably don't know this, but my family is a bit… fragmented" he explained. Hiccup did a double take on this one. He was expecting something more on the lines of _Well, you stole Elsa away from me._

"Fragmented?"

"I live alone right now, you know, 'cause of going away for college, but I used to just live with my father. My mother left us and took my only sister with her, haven't seen them since"

They stayed in silence for a while, Hiccup considering what he'd just heard. He was surprised Jack had chosen to share this much with him of all people.

Jack, on the other hand, was amazed at himself _**I think I've never quite summarized my life like that **_he thought. It probably was one step forward towards acceptance, though he didn't want to think about that just then. He wanted to gain Hiccup's trust, somehow, and figured honesty was the best way. He didn't understand why it has suddenly become so important.

"Sorry, man… I know how that feels" replied Hiccup suddenly. Jack arched an eyebrow _**Is he just saying that?**_

"You do?" he asked with caution. Hiccup nodded.

"Yeah, because of my father. He passed away last year, got shot during a robbery. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time" he said. Jack felt slightly guilty for thinking bad of him.

"Oh... I'm sorry about that"

"Elsa was with me the whole time" he said, smiling slightly at the memory "She kept me company, knowing that I was depressed and being alone was bad for me. She's that kind of person. She never abandons a friend in need"

Jack sighed and looked away.

"I know. I'm sorry for being an ass before. To her, and to you as well. That's just the way I used to be"

"Before you met Elsa?" Hiccup guessed, a sad smile lifting his features. Jack smiled back the same way.

"Before I met Elsa" he confirmed "but I'm past that, I assure you. I'm past competing with you. I've seen how you are with Elsa, and I won't get in the way of that" he stated. Hiccup chuckled.

"I can't believe I'm going to say this," he started, turning to look at Jack with a goofy grin "but you're actually a nice guy"

"Don't push it though" Jack replied with a smirk, earning himself a slight shove on the shoulder from Hiccup.

Again there was silence between them, but now the tension had lessened considerably. Jack looked at Hiccup.

"How are you feeling now? Are you still in pain?" he asked. Hiccup chuckled.

"Physical pain is the least of my worries right now" he said without humour. Jack frowned.

"Is everything ok? I know I probably don't go from being a person you hate to being your best friend, but if I can help, I will" he offered in all honesty, and Hiccup knew he was being honest.

"You can't help me, but I appreciate the offer" he replied, and Jack accepted this with a nod. His head jerked up suddenly, and he was staring at a point behind Hiccup.

Hiccup barely had the time to arch an eyebrow before Jack spoke.

"Hey, Elsa! We missed you at Global Studies" he said cheerfully, causing Hiccup to turn his head so fast he almost gave himself a whiplash.

Sure enough, Elsa was standing there, looking beautiful as always. She had this doe-caught-in-headlights scared look on her face as her eyes rested on Hiccup, holding onto the right strap of her backpack as if doing so would prevent her from falling into an abyss. Hiccup looked at her with all the pain he was feeling shining in his eyes, and they felt as if they had been frozen in time right there and then.

"Hi" she said shyly, blushing and looking down. Hiccup blushed as well and looked sideways.

"Hey" he replied.

She had spent the night holding onto him and occasionally sobbing, only to get up and leave in the morning as if she couldn't spend one second longer in his presence. She hadn't told him she was going to skip class, but he'd known. He knew her too well.

"I'm… going to class" she announced. Jack looked between Elsa and Hiccup confused. He knew something had happened, and he desperately wanted to know what, but he knew he couldn't just ask.

Hiccup got up from his seat in a jump, almost knocking the chair over clumsily.

"I'll walk you" he said. Elsa nodded and turned to walk away. Hiccup hurriedly grabbed his backpack and gave one last frightened look at Jack before turning and leaving after Elsa.

Jack ran a hand through his hair.

"What's going on?"

…

…

Awww I'm making myself cry xD sorry haha, hope you enjoyed


	7. Time Out

I'm back! Ok, this while it took a little longer for me to update but it's because I was out on vacation with no computer. Not to worry, though, I didn't stop writing (I write on my phone), I just stopped posting :P

Sorry, I don't remember which reviews I answered, but I just want to remind you that I love getting them and read them all! Thanks for your support :)

On with the story...

...

...

"You were with Jack. That was weird" stated Elsa, trying to avoid walking in awkward silence. Hiccup nodded.

"I figured... If he's your friend, he can be my friend as well. Plus he stalked me until I agreed to speak to him" he added with a side grin. Elsa giggled slightly, not like she usually would when being careless and happy, but it made Hiccup relax a bit nonetheless.

"That's very big of you" she said, and then suddenly looked troubled. Hiccup noticed, and tried to lighten the mood.

"I like that shirt, looks good on you" he said, making Elsa look down at herself. She hadn't paid attention to her clothing that day, but she was wearing a loose black blue with a blue flower pattern, along with skinny jeans and brown boots. She smiled.

"Thanks, though I wasn't really trying to look good"

"You never try, yet you always do" he said with a shrug and a smile.

Elsa blushed and looked away, do he abandoned all pretenses of ignoring her depressed mood.

"El, what's wrong?" he asked. Of course he knew she wasn't up to being all cheerful, but he wasn't expecting her to be that bummed out. He was making an effort, after all, to get their friendship back to what it had been.

"Hiccup... you're so good to me. I can't think of anyone other than my sister that has been there for me like you have. I feel like I failed you" she lamented. Hiccup rushed a bit to stand in front of her, forcing her to stop walking and placing his hands on her shoulders, looking deeply into her eyes.

"El, you did NOT fail me, ok? This kind of things... You can't force them. It was both of us, we just weren't meant to be more than friends. I'm fine with being your friend, really" he said, trying to cheer her up. Elsa looked at him in disbelief.

"Are you, really?" she asked. Hiccup looked down, dropping his arms to his sides.

"I will be. I don't know what I feel right now. I just know we were headed in the wrong direction" he said, his voice dropping in tone. Elsa looked away.

"Everything that happened between us-"

"Is nothing compared to how much we care about each other" he interrupted with confidence.

Elsa sighed. She admired that confidence, but she wasn't feeling it. She felt weird and self-conscious. They'd slept together, after all, and now that they'd broken up she felt naked in front of him. She couldn't just pretend any of it had happened, but she also had never been in such a situation.

She wanted her friend back desperately, but she was starting to realize that wanting him back wasn't enough.

Looking at him was still disarming. She'd been with him and, on some level, she still wanted him. She figured he wouldn't know, that he wouldn't be standing there on those awfully well-fitting black jeans and that short-sleeved white t-shirt on purpose.

She wondered if he still wanted her as well and felt as conflicted as she did, but she didn't want to know for sure.

"I think... I'm gonna need some time apart from you" she said, and she didn't have to wait for his reaction. His head snapped up, and he looked as if she had slapped him.

"What?"

"I can't be with you right now, Hiccup. Not at all. It hurts" she explained. He looked outraged.

"You telling me this, that's what hurts!" he complained before he could stop himself. Elsa took a step backwards.

"I'm not trying to hurt you, I just need space. I can't be your friend right now, Hiccup, and I feel like you can't be mine either"

"I don't understand this! Did you not want me back as your friend? Are you saying you want to go back to how we were a couple of days ago? Is that what it is? Or do you not want to be my friend anymore at all?"

"No! None of that! Hiccup, I just need time to myself. I feel like I'm going to do something I shouldn't if I keep seeing you"

"Elsa-!"

"Just... Give it some time. Please" she pleaded, and with this she hurried around and away from him, leaving him dumbfounded in the middle of the now deserted hallway.

...

When Anna got home, she was extra excited. She couldn't wait to tell Elsa about Kristoff. They'd been good friends for a while now and he'd asked her out.

All it took was one look at Elsa to drown all of her happy thoughts, though. Her sister was wearing a long sweater and was curled into a ball on the living room couch, staring at nothing.

"Elsa... What's wrong?" she said, rushing towards her.

"Hiccup and I broke up" she explained, emotionless. Anna sighed.

"Oh, sis... I know it's not great that it ended up like this, but I think it's for the best. I mean... we talked about this before..." she said, sitting next to her. Elsa nodded.

"I know that, but I feel awful. I feel like the worst person ever. I played with his feelings... You should've seen his face! I hurt him so bad..."

"Was it horrible? You know... when you told him?"

"I didn't tell him. He broke up with me. And he did because he knew it wasn't working. He blames himself for pressuring me into it, but I can't see it that way! I can't even look at him right now..." as much as she hated it, she was starting to cry again. Anna pulled her in into a hug.

"Aw sis... everything is gonna be alright. The situation has to work itself out, I mean... you and Hiccup are the best of friends. You don't just lose that. You just need done time apart from each other to clear your heads"

"That's what I told him! And you should've seen his face! He was so hurry that I told him we needed to be apart!"

"Give it time, sis. He'll come around, you'll see" Anna said, tightening her hug on her sister. Elsa sighed.

"I sure hope so. I miss him already" she admitted. Anna nodded.

"I know, you guys were so close..." she whispered. Elsa pulled away from the hug momentarily.

"There's something else that's been bothering me" she added, surprising Anna.

"What is it?"

"Well... when Hiccup had his close encounter with Hans, he told me he was originally looking for me" she informed.

Anna gasped.

"What? Why would he be looking for you? And why now?" she inquired, even if she knew Elsa most likely didn't have an answer to that. Her sister shook her head.

"I have no idea" she replied, and frowned with concern "But I suspect I'll eventually find out, whether I want to or not"

...

For a moment, Jack just stood there at the door to the Global Studies classroom. He was almost sure he was hallucinating.

Elsa was sitting at her usual spot by the window, but Hiccup was sitting next to the opposite wall of the classroom, at the very bottom corner, clearly avoiding her. He was scribbling something on a notebook, not looking up, shoulders hunched and head propped up by his left arm. He look WAY more depressed than the last time he'd seen him, of that was even possible.

Elsa was laying back in her chair, looking like she could sink to the floor any second. She was browsing through something in her cellphone, also looking depressed.

When he finally recovered from his stupor, Jack went over to sit behind Elsa, which was the place Hiccup normally occupied. She jumped when he walked past her, only to visibly relax when she noticed it was him.

"Oh, hi Jack..." she said, and then her eyes left him. He followed her gaze to realize she had just noticed Hiccup's presence. Her face fell even more.

"Hey" he replied. From his vantage point behind her, he could see she has been browsing through her cellphone photos. Selfies of herself and Hiccup looking goofy.

He frowned.

"What is going on with you guys?" he asked with concern. Elsa didn't turn to look at him. She went back to get browsing, passing through a sequence of forcefully-taken photos in which Hiccup looked half mad and blurry, obviously trying to avoid the camera.

"We broke up" she said without emotion. Jack felt his jaw drop.

"You... what?" was all he could say before Mr. Weselton walked into the room and started talking about an essay they had to deliver by the end of the following week.

Class went on as usual, but Jack couldn't seem to concentrate. He found himself frequently staring at the back of Elsa's head, lost in thought.

When the bell rang, signaling for the end of class, Hiccup ran off as if his chair has been on fire. Elsa just sat there like a statue, watching him leave. Jack got up slowly and placed a piece of paper on Elsa's desk, in front of her, catching her by surprise. She looked up at him and he was smiling with sympathy and another feeling that Elsa didn't recognize.

"If you need to talk to someone, I'm always available" he said, before walking out of the classroom as well. Elsa watched him leave before looking down at the piece of paper he'd left.

It didn't say much.

_Jack_

_555 - 14572 _

_..._

"Well you look angry" Astrid said, rushing to match Hiccup's pace. He grunted, shrugging like he didn't care, though he very obviously did.

"Elsa doesn't want to see me" he said. Astrid arched an eyebrow.

"What? Why? Did you do something bad? Last I knew, you were the hero who got his ass kicked by her ex" she tried joking, in an attempt to lighten the mood. Hiccup chuckled at her comment, but his mood had clearly not improved one bit.

"I broke up with her" he announced. Astrid gasped.

"What?! When?! Why hadn't you told me about this?!"

"I'm not exactly happy to talk about it, Astrid! I mean, I broke up with her, not because I suddenly don't love her but because I could tell the relationship wasn't working and I didn't want to lose her. And then suddenly I lost her anyway because she says she can't be around me right now!" he explained, throwing his arms up in frustration. Astrid arched an eyebrow at him.

"Is that what she said?" she asked in disbelief. Hiccup shrugged again and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"She said she needed time or whatever" he said bitterly.

Astrid rolled her eyes.

"Ugh, and you're mad at her for that? Really, men don't get anything" she commented. Hiccup turned to look at her with a deep frown on his forehead.

"I actually resent that quite a bit"

"And I don't care, you have no reason to be mad! Look, I know this has been frustrating for you, but don't be such a girl! Elsa needs space, and I think you do as well! You need to not see her for a while and put your feelings in order" she reprimanded, punching him on the shoulder.

"Ow! What was that for?" he complained. Astrid smirked.

"That was for being such a cry baby! Chill out! Hang with the guys more, you need the distraction. You can get your best friend back, with time. Who knows? Maybe it'll be weeks, months... maybe a whole year. The important thing is that, when you guys are ready to be with each other again, it'll be like the old days and you'll see a friend, not a heartbreak" she explained.

Hiccup stared at her, genuine surprise reflected in his green eyes. He allowed himself a bit of a smile, albeit a nostalgic one.

"Thanks, Astrid. That really helps" he said. Astrid nodded.

"Glad to hear that. I have class right now, but I'll see you around" she said, punching him on the shoulder again.

"Hey! Now what was THAT for?!" he complained, watching her walk away.

She paused briefly to look at him over her shoulder and shrugged carelessly.

"That was for everything else"

…

"Hello?" Elsa called tentatively as she walked slowly into the lab.

Everything looked dark, but there was a single desk light on at the far corner. Hiro was sitting there, scribbling some notes, when he turned around at the sound of her voice and smiled.

"Oh, hey Elsa!" he answered. Elsa smiled back.

"Hiro, why are you so alone here?"

"Well, the girls went home, Wasabi had some extra classes and Fred got bored. I wanted to catch up on some work before leaving. Were you looking for any of them?" he asked. Elsa shook her head.

"N-no… I was actually wondering if Jack was around here" she said. Hiro considered this thoughtfully for a moment.

"He hasn't been here all day, but I think he had some work to do"

"Oh, ok" she replied disappointed. Hiro tilted his head.

"Are you guys dating?" he asked without restraint. Elsa suddenly looked flustered.

"What? NO! No no, we're not! I actually… had a boyfriend until… just…a couple of days ago" she said, the last part making her spirits drop visibly. Hiro stared at her with concern.

"I'm sorry, Elsa, I didn't mean to upset you" he said, touching her forearm lightly, trying to show support. Elsa looked down at his hand and then at him, his big childish eyes looking up at her full of worry. That made her smile.

"Oh Hiro..." she said, kneeling down to look at him more directly. Hiro looked startled by this, blushing slightly suddenly "You're so lucky to not have these problems still"

"Hey!" he complained "I'm fourteen, not seven!"

"Still, not nineteen" she pointed out "My life was so much easier at fourteen. Heck, if I'm wishing for stuff, I actually wish I was seven" she said with a dreamy sigh.

Hiro blushed and looked away.

"I wish you were fourteen" he said honestly. Elsa giggled at his childish gesture and hugged him, making him yelp with surprised.

"And I wish you were nineteen, you're so sweet" she whispered. Hiro smiled and hugged her back.

"I think, whatever your problems are, it can all get better. You have friends that care for you. I care for you. So just reach out to people and everything will be better" he said. Elsa pulled away and looked at him, her eyes wide open.

"Reach out..."

"Yes, it's like… when Tadashi died, you know, my brother? Gogo, Wasabi, Fred and Honey Lemon were there for me. If I had been alone… well, I tried to isolate myself, actually. But they didn't let me, and I'm very thankful for that" he explained, smiling at her with the sadness of his brother's memory. Elsa pulled him in for another hug.

"Aw Hiro, you're so sweet, thank you for sharing something like that with me" she pulled away and placed her hands on his shoulders "You're so right, I need to keep my spirits up and keep my friends close"

"And you know, I'm always here if you need me" he said with a big smile "Wasabi, Fred, Honey Lemon and Gogo can help as well, though I wouldn't listen to a lot of what Fred says..."

Elsa giggled again.

"Thanks, Hiro. And we all have a date tomorrow to watch movies, right?"

"We sure do!" he replied excitedly. Elsa nodded.

"Can I bring my sister and cousin? They're really nice"

"Sure! I mean, if they're your family, they're most likely great"

"Aw, thanks!" she said happily.

_**There is someone else I can reach out to, though.**_

...

Jack got to his apartment very late that night. He'd been at the library finishing some school work and he'd gone from there to the grocery store to get some snacks and microwave waffles (since he wasn't very fond of cooking and mostly microwaved everything). His dad had a very well-paying job, so Jack had a nice, big two-bedroom apartment for himself.

He walked to the kitchen and shoved the waffles into the fridge, afterwards pulling a bowl from the pantry. He opened a bag of chips and was starting to empty it into the bowl when his phone vibrated. Just once, briefly, to signal the arrival of a new message.

He pulled the phone out of his back pocket and looked at it. It was an unknown number.

There was only one person he'd recently given his number to.

Feeling his heart jumping out of his chest, he swiped on the message notification.

**Unknown** - _Hey Jack. Are you busy? It's Elsa_

Jack chuckled

"For you, I'm never going to be" he said to himself, already texting her back.

**Jack** - _Not at all, just got home from the grocery store._

While he waited for her answer, he saved her number to his contacts so that the message application would recognize her. He didn't have to wait long, though.

**Elsa** - _Oh? What did you get?_

**Jack **-_ Just snacks and some microwave waffles._

**Elsa **- _Waffles! Nice!_

**Jack** - _You like waffles?_

**Elsa** - _Yeah, though I make mine from scratch. With blueberries mixed in._

Jack took a moment to daydream about that. Blueberry homemade waffles. Made by Elsa. He sighed contentedly, wishing he was having some of those with her by his side.

**Jack** - _You have to let me try that sometime. It sounds great._

**Elsa** - _And Anna makes this killer, peach-flavored jam with peach bits in it. Goes great with the waffles._

**Jack** - _Stop it. You're making me salivate. Now I regret having just a bag of chips._

**Elsa** - _You could always make up for that tomorrow at breakfast._

**Jack** - _Yeah, I'll make sure I have something good for breakfast._

**Elsa** -_ What about iHop? You like iHop?_

**Jack** - _Good idea, I could go there one of these days. Big servings..._

**Elsa** - _You want to go tomorrow? Around 9?_

Jack stared at his phone for a moment, not believing the situation Elsa's asking me out? He thought, very surprised. And also starting to feel a bit nervous, which was new to him since the idea of going out with a girl had never made him feel nervous before.

He started typing the words _You really want to go with me? _but hesitated and deleted them. He didn't really want to discourage her from asking, so he went for a more casual approach.

**Jack** - _Sounds good, pick you up at 9_

**Elsa** - _Pick me up? Do you even know where I live?_

**Jack** - _No but this is the part where you tell me :p_

There was a pause in which he didn't receive any messages from Elsa, which was probably only a couple of minutes long but to him it lasted hours. Had he pushed it too far? Maybe she didn't want him to know where she lived. Maybe she was already assuming it was another move towards closing with her. What if she didn't answer his messages every again?! What if she-?

The next three messages included not only a maps pin to her location, but also written instructions on how to get there.

Jack smiled and realized he'd been holding his breath.

**Jack** - _Great. See you tomorrow then._

**Elsa** - _See you tomorrow :) good night and enjoy your chips._

**Jack** - _I'll try, though I can't make any promises. Maybe I'll go nuts and have some club soda xD Have a good night!_

He blocked his phone screen and placed it on the kitchen table, staying frozen for a moment. He then walked to the window and opened it wide, feeling the chilly but agreeable weather of the first week of April hit him in the face. He felt refreshed, but most of all, he felt hopeful and happy. Elsa was finally letting him in, and he would take anything she was willing to give, and give her anything she needed.

He was that much in love.

...

Anna stared at her sister in disbelief. Rapunzel barely held onto the plate of scrambled eggs she had been carrying.

Elsa just stared back at them.

"What?" she asked, blushing a little. She knew what it was, of course, and she had stupidly hoped to just stroll through the living room and towards the apartment door without getting much besides a 'see you later'.

"Your hair..." Anna managed to say.

Elsa felt weird, but it was good weird. She had felt nostalgic in the morning, and remembered what Hiccup had told her about her hair and how he liked it down. It had been on a whim, but she'd decided to leave it down in a side braid.

She'd gone for black leggings and a casual button-down white dress with flowery patterns, and simple white flats. It would've looked normal on her any day if it had been accompanied by her usual braided bun, but the whole attire made her look stunning.

"I thought you were just going to someone's house to watch movies" Rapunzel blurted. Elsa nodded.

"I am, I'm going out for breakfast and then I'm heading over there" she informed "you don't want to come with?"

"Kristoff is picking me up in an hour, sorry, I'll go next time" Anna said, recovering a tone of familiarity.

"Merida and I are going shopping today. She needs new jeans" Rapunzel said "are you meeting someone else for breakfast? Or is it the same people you'll watch movies with?"

"Oh, it's one of them, one of those friends. You haven't met him, but he'll be here in-" she was interrupted by the doorbell ringing and giggled "-right now, apparently. He's a bit early"

"Did she say 'he'?" Rapunzel whispered. Anna nodded, dumbfounded.

"Yeah she did" she replied in the same tone. Elsa didn't catch the small exchange as she went to open the door.

Jack had been thinking the whole way over about something smart to say when Elsa opened the door, but his mind rebooted as soon as he saw her.

"Hey, Jack! You're early" she said cheerfully. Jack's mouth opened and closed a few times before he was able to utter something coherent in response. He'd thought he was well dressed, with a white, long-sleeved, button shirt and dark blue jeans with black converse shoes. Elsa though... she was probably not even trying, but she just took his breath away. And her hair...

"Uh, yeah... Hi" he replied, stuttering a bit. Anna and Rapunzel exchanged amused gazes, catching on to the boy's mood immediately. Elsa, oblivious as ever, turned around and signaled towards them.

"You haven't met my sister and cousin. Girls, this is Jack. Jack, that's Anna and that's Rapunzel" she briefly introduced. Jack mechanically waved at them and the girls giggled and waved back. Elsa arched an eyebrow at them and turned towards Jack pretending she hadn't noticed the weird stares "shall we go?"

"Uh...sure, let's" he jumped and moved aside. Elsa grabbed her purse.

"Bye, see you later!" she said to the girls before disappearing behind the closed door.

Anna and Rapunzel burst into uncontrollable giggling as soon as they left.

"Oh, Elsa is on a roll!" exclaimed Rapunzel. Anna nodded frantically.

"Did you see that guy Jack? He's obviously not thinking of her as just a friend!"

"And he's so handsome! And SO obviously dressed up for her!" Rapunzel observed

"I know! And he seems nice, he's probably what she needs to get over the whole Hiccup business" Anna suggested hopefully.

"Yeah... Knowing Elsa, though, it won't be easy..." Rapunzel said with hesitation. Anna shrugged.

"If this Jack is serious about her, he'll be patient and wait"

...

"So..." Jack started as they walked side by side through a small public park as shortcut to their destination "your hair" he completed simply.

Elsa held on to her braid with both hands at his comment, as if it could suddenly fall off.

"I... I was thinking about something Hiccup said this morning" she said with a deep blush. Jack made his best not to show how much it pained him that Hiccup had more to do with her change in appearance than him.

"What was it?"

"He said... he said that my hair looked better when it was down. At the moment I didn't listen and just put it up as always, but now I wish I had done what he was asking of me" she said sadly. Jack hesitated before shyly putting an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer to him. Elsa looked up at him questioningly.

"Well he was right, you look good. But don't go all depressed on me, we're trying to get your spirits up. And later on we have that gathering with the guys, so you'll get distracted" he said, looking down at her with a smile. She smiled back.

"Thank you, Jack"

"Come on, I didn't do anything"

"You've been a completely different person lately" she pointed out "at first I didn't think highly of you. I thought you weren't capable of true friendship or even taking a woman seriously, but after getting to know you, I'm glad to see that I was wrong" she said earnestly.

Jack blushed If you only knew just how much you had to do with it...

"Well, I've changed. For the better, I want to think"

"Nah, I don't believe you changed at all"

"Excuse me?" he asked, genuinely surprised at her words. Of course he'd changed! Heck, even he knew he used to be a jerk! He wanted to believe he'd changed, and most of all, he wanted Elsa to know it.

"Chill, I don't mean it in a bad way" she said giggling a little "what I meant is, I don't think you actually had to change. I think you've always been a nice guy, but things don't always go right in life and... Well, our tenderness sometimes get buried in the aftermath of tragedies" she explained, looking up at him shyly. Jack was amazed beyond belief at her words.

"I... don't really know what to say..." he answered truthfully. She smiled.

"You don't need to say anything" she assured, leaning into him a bit more, his arm still firmly around her shoulders "I'm just glad I got to know the real, caring and gentle Jackson Overland"

...

"Ugh... Really?" Hiccup groaned, rubbing his face with his palms as he was waken by the doorbell.

He was wearing just loose pijama pants and no shirt, so he grabbed a discarded one from his night table and threw it on to go see who it was.

"You look awful" was the first thing she said as soon as he opened the door.

"Morning to you too, Astrid" he replied sarcastically. She laughed.

"Morning? It's almost noon! Eleven thirty! Are you seriously just getting up?" she exclaimed in disbelief. Hiccup arched an eyebrow.

"Let's see... I'm twenty, I'm in college, I just broke up with my best friend and it's Saturday. Yes, I'm just getting up" he replied bitterly. Astrid huffed and crossed her arms in disapproval.

"You can't just mope around all day! We have a date today, remember! All the guys? Pizza? I told you before?"

"Right... And I asked if Elsa could come..." he added, looking sideways. Astrid sighed.

"Come on, Hiccup! It'll help you take your mind off things! You need some time out..."

"Mmm... Ok, just... Come inside while I get ready" he said, standing aside so that Astrid could walk in. She let out a low whistle.

"Wow, I thought you'd be way messier than this" she admitted, making him chuckle.

"I'm actually way tidier, I just haven't been in a very good mood" he said, closing the door and going to get some fresh clothes from his drawers. Astrid sat on the undone bed hesitantly.

"Where will you change?"

"Bathroom. I'll take a quick bath and then we can go" he said "sorry for inconveniencing"

"Not at all, go ahead" she said, blushing a bit. Sitting on his bed while he showered felt a bit too... intimate for her liking, but Hiccup didn't seemed fazed by this so she tried to ignore the nagging feeling as best as she could.

He did need some time out, after all, and she was going to make sure he got it.

...

...

This is slowly taking a different shape, isn't it? Anyways, thank you in advance for your reviews, follows and favorites :)


	8. Party Wreck

Guys, this chapter... I'm sorry for bringing in such an emotional roller coaster, but everything in it was important. And it's long. Emotional and long. I'm sorry in advance, really :(

I think I've been an emotional wreck myself and I'm taking it out on this fanfic xD

Again, thank you everyone! Thanks for all the reviews and follows and favorites!

...

...

Elsa laughed, and actually felt a bit weird doing so. She thought she wouldn't be able to laugh like that in a while, but she was having such a great time with Jack! She was almost not thinking about Hiccup. Almost. He was always in the back of her head, but she figured it was normal. She missed him too much, one doesn't get over suddenly not being able to be with a best friend that easily.

"Ok, you can't possibly think that movie was bad! I mean, it's got vampires! And lots of things exploding!" Jack exclaimed enthusiastically. Elsa giggled.

"Abraham Lincoln hunting vampires is just stupid on its own!" She retorted. Their empty plates were already forgotten in front of them, but Jack was still waving his fork around, using it to enhance his hand gesturing while he talked.

"Did you read the book though?" he asked, pointing his fork at Elsa. She gaped at him.

"There's a book?! And you actually read it?!"

"I'll have you know it's actually very light and fun to read" he pointed out, raising his fork with the statement. Elsa snorted.

"You know, for an English major, I thought you'd be more selective on your reading choices"

"Au contraire, mademoiselle, I actually read almost everything that's put in front of me. Movies, though, that's something I am rather selective with"

"Oh? How come?"

"Well, since I'd much rather invest my time in reading than in just sitting idly in front of a screen, I don't watch a lot of movies. Mostly action flicks and sci-fi 'cause you know, they look cool. I wouldn't be caught dead watching a chick flick at the movies"

"Oh, me neither" Elsa said, waving a hand dismissively "I've never been a fan of romantic comedy and such, like Anna and Rapunzel. Those girls have made me sit through the cheesiest movies in the history of time"

"Not Twilight, though, I hope..."

"Yes, Twilight! They even got into fights over Anna being team Edward and Rapunzel being team Jacob, though I personally always was team Shut-the-hell-up!"

They laughed again. They'd done that a lot during the two hours they'd been there. The booths around the one they were currently occupying were starting to vacate, breakfast time slowly coming to an end.

"What about zombie movies? You like zombie movies? I think Gogo wanted to watch REC today, the very first one. Though I don't think Wasabi enjoys scary movies a lot" he chuckled at the last bit. He knew Wasabi screamed like a girl, and that was bound to be lots of fun for him. Elsa cringed.

"I'm... actually not great with horror movies either..." she answered shyly. Jack chuckled.

"Well, you can hug little Hiro like a security blanket if you get frightened. That's what Wasabi does sometimes" he said, causing both of them to laugh again.

"Seriously, though, I might do that. Not even kidding"

"Hiro won't complain. I think he likes you a lot" he said wiggling his eyebrows at her. Elsa giggled.

"He told me" she said. Jack looked genuinely taken aback by this, more than she would've expected him to be.

"What? He actually TOLD you he liked you?!" he exclaimed. Elsa looked at him funny.

"Yes, he even said he wished I was his age. For what it's worth, though, I said that as well. He's going to be one cute college guy, and he's sweet" she admitted, and took a sip of her coffee.

Jack just stared at her with his jaw dropping in awe _**Gosh, Hiro actually got to Elsa before I did. I'm such a loser... **_

"Uh... glad to know you guys are... bonding... though I wonder when all of that happened"

"Oh, just yesterday, I went to the lab when I was looking for-" she stopped herself for some reason and blushed "uh, for, my laptop charger. I thought I'd left it there" she completed, and it was obvious to Jack not only that she was lying, but that she was generally terrible at doing so.

He smiled at her sympathetically.

"You were looking for Hiccup weren't you?" he asked. Elsa looked down, embarrassed. She didn't want to admit she had been actually looking for Jack, for some reason. She wasn't even sure herself off why she'd been doing so.

"No, I just told you-"

"Elsa, it's ok. It feels like you can't make it without him right now, but it'll be fine eventually. You guys will be friends again in no time, I just know it" he told her, placing one of his hands over hers on the table.

She smiled at him and decided to accept his conclusion as to not get in anymore trouble.

"Thanks, Jack" she said. He grinned.

"All in due time. What you need right now is distraction. Tell you what, we go to Wasabi's to watch movies and then at night there's a party Aster told me about. Wanna go? As my friend of course" he asked hopefully. He knew that even if Elsa agreed, nothing was going to happen between them, but he still wanted her with him.

Elsa considered this. She could feel Jack hadn't let go off his crush on her entirely, but she still appreciated everything he did for her and she at least acknowledged he didn't have bad intentions.

"Can... can we go and stay just for a while? I'm not a party person" she admitted. Jack leaned in closer towards her, acting like he was suddenly about to let her into a big secret of his.

"I'm not very into parties either, but I could use a change of pace as well. Plus Aster has been very insistent since I never want to go to parties with him. He says he needs his wingman, though I'm not a particularly good one"

"His wingman?"

"Yeah, you know, that dude that goes with another dude and helps-"

"I know what a wingman is" Elsa interrupted with a slight chuckle "but I never pictured you as one. I mean, you? The heartbreaker, a wingman?" she said with arched eyebrows. Jack smirked and leaned in closer, his arms on the table.

"That's why I said I'm not a good one. I'm the ladies man" he said, and immediately chastised himself for it. What was he trying to accomplish with this?

Elsa rolled her eyes at him, but she was smiling as she did so.

"Ugh, get over yourself. Please tell me you're not taking me to a party so that I can watch you and your friend Aster hit on girls"

"No no" he assured, backing off a bit "if you go with me, we'll hang out and not hit on anyone. You have my word. Just a friendly outing" he added, crossing his heart with his finger to add to his promise. Elsa giggled, covering her mouth slightly and looking at him through her long eyelashes. Jack thought it was the sexist gesture ever and couldn't help but blush.

"Ok then, I'll go. But right now I think we should ask for the check and go to Wasabi's house or we'll be late"

"Oh, right!" he exclaimed before turning around on his booth seat to search for the waiter "Check, please!"

...

"Dude! Mushrooms suck!" Ruffnut complained, dropping the slice of pizza back into the box. Tuffnut gagged.

"Hiccup!"

"Hey, you chose the ingredients on that one!" Hiccup exclaimed, pointing at the other box of pizza that Astrid was placing on the table right then. The brothers started fighting over the biggest slice of pepperoni, sausage and ham pizza, while Fishlegs silently thanked Hiccup and grabbed a slice of the mushroom, green pepper, onion and ham pizza. Astrid and Hiccup both grabbed a slice of the same one and placed it on their paper plates.

"This smells good, I think it was a great idea to come here" Fishlegs said. Astrid nodded.

"I know, they put lots of cheese on these pizzas. More than Domino's"

"Domino's sucks, those pizzas taste like plastic" Hiccup said before taking another bite. Ruffnut looked at him angrily.

"Hey, pizza is pizza! Don't insult pizza or the places that sell pizza! That's like blasphemy!"

"Yeah, almost the same" Astrid replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

They continued eating, though it was mostly Fishlegs speaking about geeky card games he liked and the twins complaining and trying to shut him up. Astrid and Hiccup ended up speaking between each other privately. They had more in common than what they originally thought, and Hiccup finally felt like he was distracting himself from the whole Elsa business.

"So I hear there's a party tonight, wanna come?" Astrid asked. Hiccup looked startled.

"A party? I don't know, Astrid, I'm not fun at parties" he warned. Tuffnut snorted.

"Pfff yeah, he's a geek" he said.

"A boring geek" Ruffnut said. Fishlegs smiled.

"Am I a fun geek?"

"Are you kidding? If Hiccup's boring, you're like... mind-numbingly boring!" Ruffnut corrected. The three started discussing again and Astrid took advantage of this to continue her calm dialogue with Hiccup.

"Anyway, ignoring all of that, I'm not really the soul of parties myself, but it could be fun to socialize a little. I actually don't normally go to parties, but come on, you need the distraction" she pointed out. Hiccup sighed.

"I guess I do"

"You totally do"

"Do I have to dance, though? I'm not a good dancer" he said blushing a bit. Astrid blushed as well, because she couldn't help but think he looked cute. Was a guy supposed to look cute? She thought about it for a minute, and she concluded she found Hiccup to be unusually attractive in general. It probably was something between his tanned skin, green eyes and unruly brown hair.

"N-no, I mean... we could just go and hang out at the bar, pass judgement on people and what not... what do you think?" she insisted, and suddenly realized his answer was very important to her for some unknown reason.

He smiled and ran a hand through his hair, and the action took her breath away.

"Ok, doesn't sound too bad. I'll go" he replied. He wasn't really in the mood for a party, but Astrid was right.

He needed the distraction.

...

"Fred, you're eating all the popcorn! Give me!" Gogo complained, snatching the bowl from the guy. Fred laughed.

"I would've succeeded if you hadn't caught me" he replied cynically. Elsa laughed at their antics.

Wasabi's apartment had a big living room with a big, clean white wall in front of the big three-person couch, a loveseat to the left and an armchair to the right. A wall projector was showing the ending credits of Zombieland, which Fred had insisted on watching. Gogo huffed.

"I'm done with funny movies, let's watch some horror!" she exclaimed.

Gogo, Wasabi and Honey Lemon were sitting together on the couch, Hiro sitting on that couch's arm rest. Fred had immediately hogged the armchair and that left Jack and Elsa together on the loveseat, which Jack found awfully suspicious. He was sure they'd planned for him to sit next to Elsa.

"Oooh let's watch it then! REC!" Fred exclaimed. Wasabi reluctantly grabbed Gogo's DVD and went to put inside the player while Honey Lemon popped a couple more popcorn packets in the microwave.

Elsa sighed.

"And here I thought I was saved from having to watch that" she said, making Jack chuckle.

"Oh, it's not so bad, Elsa! I'm here for you" Hiro announced bravely, popping his chest out proudly. Elsa giggled.

"Aw, thanks Hiro, you're my savior!" she exclaimed. Jack arched an eyebrow at the exchange.

_**I can't believe I'm jealous of a fourteen year old**_ he thought.

The movie started soon enough, and it was a hassle since the beginning. When the zombies started appearing, everyone looked thrilled and amused aside from Wasabi and Elsa. Wasabi was constantly screaming in a high pitched tone, earning himself a reprimand from Gogo almost every time. Elsa jumped slightly every time something scary happened and Jack could tell she was trying to control herself.

Until the part where the little girl goes all zombie on everybody. Wasabi gave out his most ear piercing scream, and Elsa shrieked, burying her face into Jack's shirt and holding onto it for dear life.

Jack froze for a moment, and then hesitantly lowered his arms. Slowly, oh so slowly, he positioned them around her and hugged her.

He didn't really pay attention to the movie beyond that point. Elsa kept looking back to the screen and then turning back to his shirt each time she got scared, but she never let go of him and she never made him remove his arms. He didn't take his gaze from her all the way through to the end of the movie, when Elsa was on the verge of tears and he was soothingly caressing her back and head.

"Elsie? The movie is over" he whispered soothingly. She reluctantly pulled away from him completely, making him remove his arms from around her. She blushed a deep shade of red and turned away.

"Sorry..." she said. Jack chuckled.

"No problem at all" he replied with a smile, blushing a little himself. Elsa had not complained him using that nickname this time.

No one seemed to have noticed this little exchange, as they all enthusiastically chatted about the movie.

"The zombies looked so real! I was impressed!" commented Honey Lemon. Wasabi gulped.

"Too real for my liking! If I was a fan of zombies, I would've probably loved it, but I'm terrified of zombies, so I didn't love it!"

"It was so cool! Remember when that dude came running like BAM! And then this other dude closed the door in his face like BUM!" Fred colorfully described. Hiro laughed.

"I was hooked through the entire movie" he said. Gogo nodded.

"I'd totally watch it again" she announced. Honey Lemon jumped, clapping her hands excitedly.

"Hey, you guys! Who's going to the party at Fred's house tonight?!" she asked. Elsa gasped.

"I didn't know it was at your house, Fred" she said and then turned to look at Jack, who look equally surprised.

"Neither did I, Aster told me it was in a very wealthy neighborhood" he commented. Hiro laughed.

"Oh, Fred's house is a huge mansion" he explained. Elsa and Jack exchanged gazes that said 'Wow, never would've guessed'.

"Oh right, it's almost six, I should go back to my place and get ready" Gogo said, getting up from the couch. Jack shrugged.

"I can go with these same clothes. Elsa, do you need to change? I can take you back to your place and wait for you" he said, directing most of his words to the girl next to him. Elsa blushed again and smiled shyly.

"If that's not too much to ask for..."

"Not at all, come on" he replied, getting up from the loveseat in a jump, extending his hand towards her afterwards to help her up. She took his hand and got up, and Jack turned to the rest of the guys.

"Ok, we'll see you there later" he waved, and everyone answered with short phrases like 'ok, take care' or 'bye, see ya'

When they walked out of the apartment, they started to walk towards the bus stop and Elsa couldn't help but notice an important detail:

Jack was still holding her hand, not having let go since he helped her up from the couch.

She decided not to say anything.

...

Hiccup parked his car outside of Astrid's house. She lived with her parents, so unlike most of them who had their own small apartments, she had a big house in the suburbs. Her house had two floors, it was painted in white and always looked clean and well kept. It had a very nice garden in the front yard.

He had driven her back to her house so she could get ready for the part and he'd changed clothes himself. He was wearing a military green button shirt, with long sleeves that were bunched up to his elbows. He also wore black jeans and black converse shoes. He threw his black leather jacket to the back seat and sent a message to Astrid on his phone.

**Hiccup** - _I'm here, but whenever you're ready_.

Astrid didn't take long in answering.

**Astrid**_ - I'll be right out._

And it was barely five minutes later that the front door opened and Astrid walked out looking like the sexiest thing Hiccup had ever seen.

He knew Astrid wasn't a skirt kind of girl, but she was beyond demonstrating she didn't need to be. She was wearing the hell out of those leather pants she'd chosen to wear, and she'd completed the look with a short long-sleeved top that reached just below her breasts, showing her flat stomach. All of that with her usual braid and medium-high heeled boots was an outfit combination that fit her perfectly.

Hiccup had to remember to close his mouth as he jumped out of the car clumsily and went to open the door for her.

"Well, you look... good" he stated, his face tan not being enough to hide his blush. Astrid smirked.

"You're kidding, right? I look awesome! This outfit is brand new and I'm wearing the hell out of it!" she exclaimed confidently, climbing into Hiccup's black Mazda. He sighed.

"That was so... Astrid" he muttered to himself, still surprised by the scene, as he closed her door and went to get back into the car.

...

Jack flipped through the channels on the TV in Elsa's living room. Her sister and cousin hadn't been home when they got back, so they'd chatted for a while and then Elsa had gone into her room to take a shower and change for the party. Jack was actually rather nervous about this. He knew Elsa could come out of her room wrapped in toilet paper and she would still look stunning to him.

He settled for watching a random episode of CSI while she finished, though he wasn't paying much attention to it: he'd just gotten tired of clicking on the remote. He sat back on the couch with his arms crossed.

_**What am I even expecting?**_ He asked himself _**She's still very hung up on what happened with Hiccup. I guess all I can do is distract her.**_

He kept trying to convince himself that if Elsa wanted nothing from him but friendship, he would accept it and be her friend, but it was getting harder and harder with each second he spent with her. Spending a whole day with her only made him think he wanted to spend everyday with her and just be there for her and not just as her friend.

He'd also realized that, even though he'd had girlfriends before, this was the first time he actually felt in love. He wanted what was best for her, he only thought of her. His desires were no longer his top priority. It was her.

And then she stepped out of her room with the most gorgeous smile.

"Sorry for making you wait, Jack" she apologized, though all Jack could think of was that he would've gladly waited an eternity if it meant she would come out looking like that.

Elsa was wearing a discreet but very flattering light blue dress with long sleeves, very little cleavage and an A-line skirt. The skirt reached all the way to her knees, and a shiny snowflake pendant adorned her neckline. She wore shiny silver-colored flats and shiny snowflake earrings, her long hair still down in the side braid.

By now, Jack had just been sitting there staring blankly at her without saying a thing, so Elsa started fidgeting and looked down.

"Uh... Do I look too plain?" she asked, embarrassment clear in her voice. This seemed to snap Jack out of his stupor, for he immediately jumped from the couch and was in front of her in a second. He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked straight into her eyes.

"N-no! No, not at all! Elsa, you never look too plain. Ever. You're the most beautiful woman I've-" he started blurting out, but stopped and quickly withdrew his hands, locking them behind his back and turning all shades of red "I... I mean, you look awesome, don't worry about it" he corrected as casually as he could. Elsa covered her mouth and giggled.

"Aw Jack, you're so cute" she said, and without thinking she leaned in and kissed him on the cheek.

Jack turned red as a tomato and touched his cheek in disbelief. Elsa looked down and blushed.

"Jack... I need time" she said. He arched an eyebrow, not understanding what she meant.

She chuckled. It was clear on his face that he hadn't caught what she meant.

"What I'm saying is... I'm not entirely against something happening... you know, between us" she stated as plainly as her own shyness allowed. She was not used to being forward "but it's probably not going to happen soon. I still have to sort out my feelings after everything that happened between me and Hiccup" she completed honestly, looking at his reaction intently.

Jack was speechless. He just stood there, gaping at her with eyes wide open, hearing her words over and over in his mind. Had she really just said that? Truth is she hadn't quite told him she was into him or anything that solid, but she was clearly telling him what he thought was impossible: he had a chance.

Again he was silently staring at her for so long that he made Elsa start to nervously fidget with her braid.

"Unless of course I misread everything and you're not interested in me anymore, which would make this one of the most awkward moments of my life" she admitted, looking flustered. Jack shook his head frantically.

"N-no no! You didn't misread anything! I just... didn't quite know how to reply to that... I am... actually very happy to hear you say that" he said, scratching the back of his head and looking away. Elsa smiled at him as he continued to nervously speak "I know I didn't give you the best first impression, and I thought-"

Elsa placed a finger to his lips, silencing him. She continued to smile at his confused and flustered expression.

"It's ok, Jack, I got to know the real you and I really like you now. You're sweet and caring and... I don't know but I think it's just a matter of time" she said, removing her finger now that he'd effectively stopped talking. He smiled widely.

"I can wait" he assured, making her blush more.

"I'm not saying you have to wait, though, I'm not that egotistical to think I'm entitled to have you wait around until it's convenient for me. It might take a while..." she warned, concern apparent in her voice. Jack smirked as he raised a hand to tuck a strand of her beautiful blond hair behind her ear.

"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" her said in his best imitation of the movie, making Elsa laugh.

"Is that really true or did you just seize your opportunity to quote Gone With The Wind?"

"Both" he replied, winking at her "Now, what do you say we get to that party?"

...

"Hiccup, my man!"

"Fred, hey" Hiccup said as he stepped into the house. Truth be told, he hadn't known who owned the house in which the party was taking place "it's been a while"

"Too long man, we should hang out more"

"Yeah, I'll take you up on that. This is Astrid, by the way" he said, gently pushing Astrid forward by placing a hand on the small of her back. She blushed at the contact.

"Hi"

"Hey, Astrid, I'm Fred. School mascot by day, but by night..." he painted dramatically to strike a superhero pose "... I'm also the school mascot"

Astrid laughed.

"Nice to meet you, Fred"

"So hey, let me introduce you to the gang" he said, leading them to where Wasabi, Gogo, Honey Lemon and Hiro were standing, each holding a plastic cup and chatting "Hey guys, this is my buddy Hiccup. Hiccup, these are Wasabi, Gogo, Honey Lemon and Hiro"

"That's your name?" Gogo asked with a grimace, earning herself an elbow to the shoulder from Honey Lemon

"Gogo!" She reprimanded. Hiccup raised his palms in front of him apologetically.

"Don't worry about it, I actually get that a lot. But yes, that's my name. And this is my friend, Astrid"

"Hey, nice meeting you. Those aren't our names, by the way, but Fred takes nicknames very seriously" Wasabi explained. Hiro arched an eyebrow.

"You know? Hiccup, your name sounds familiar" he commented. Hiccup chuckled.

"Hey, if you've heard it mentioned, they were most likely talking about me. Don't reckon it's a very popular name" he said humorously. Honey Lemon's eyes widened and she pulled Hiro's arm.

"Oh, uhm, I need to go somewhere, excuse me. Hiro, come with me" she said, pulling him rather harshly away from them and into another room. She hurried to the emptiest corner she could find and kneeled in front of the kid, who by now had a pain in his shoulder from her pulling on her arm.

"Ow, Honey Lemon... What's the big idea?"

"Hiro, that's Hiccup! As in Elsa's ex-boyfriend, Hiccup!" she exclaimed worriedly. Hiro's eyes went wide.

"Oh no, but Elsa and Jack are gonna be here any minute, and Jack-"

"I know! Jack's been trying to get Elsa's mind off the subject. This isn't good, if they bump into each other-"

"They can't! That would be awful... we better tell Jack to turn around, let me send him a message before they get here or-"

"Honey Lemon? Hiro? What are you guys mumbling over here?"

Honey Lemon got up real slow and both she and Hiro turned guiltily to look at Jack, who had his arms crossed in front of his chest and was looking at them with his trademark smirk. Elsa was standing right behind him, her hands behind her back and a shy smile on her face.

"Uh... we were just..." Honey Lemon started nervously, not really knowing what to say.

"... Wondering where you were! And here you are, guys! Hey!" Hiro interceded "We should go hang out to that other room, come!" he exclaimed, taking a hold of Elsa's hand and pulling her to the room in the opposite direction from the one they'd seen Hiccup in. As he watched them go, Jack sighed.

"Gee, to think little Hiro makes me jealous sometimes" he said with a chuckle, rushing to catch up with them.

Honey Lemon sighed as well, but it was a different kind of sigh.

"This is going to be a long night"

...

Honey Lemon and Hiro had discreetly arranged for Hiccup and Astrid to stay in one room that was three rooms apart from where Jack and Elsa were. They decided to stay in between with Gogo, Wasabi and Fred, to make sure they stayed apart and the night went on smoothly.

Jack and Elsa, oblivious to all of that, were having a great time chatting at the bar with Aster, who Jack had introduced already a couple of hours before. Jack was currently laughing lightheartedly.

"Hey, it's true mate, every word!" Aster exclaimed. He'd just finished telling a story about trying to hook up with Thiana, a senior in college and part-time secretary of Dr. North.

"She's so out of your league, man" Jack stated. Elsa glared at him, but she was smiling as she did so.

"That's not nice of you, Jack, you're supposed to encourage your friend! He was trying, after all"

"See? Elsa knows what she's saying. I think I'll hang out with her instead of you, you ungrateful bastard"

"Ungrateful?! What am I supposed to be grateful to you for?!" Jack inquired in astonishment. Aster winked at him rather annoyingly.

"For putting up with you, mate! Believe me, Elsa, it's no walk in the park having to listen to him mope about how he's supposedly not in love with you"

"ASTER, YOU SON OF A-!"

"Heeeey, I think that's my cue to go see if Thiana came tonight. Have fun, Elsa, nice meeting you" he excused himself quickly, rushing away from the red-faced and very angry Jack.

"Gee, with those friends, I'm glad I don't have enemies" he said, trying to calm himself to fight the color of his face. He then turned to look at Elsa. She was giggling uncontrollably, a faint blush coloring her cheeks. He arched an eyebrow.

"Elsa, you really can't hold your liquor, can you?" he pointed out. Elsa shrugged. She was very obviously tipsy and she'd just had a cup and a half of red wine.

"That's why I never drink a lot. I've always been like that. I know, it's pathetic" she added. Jack chuckled.

"I think it's cute" he said with a smile. She smiled back.

"You're just saying that" she said, giving him a slight shove on the shoulder. Jack chuckled.

"No no, I'm not just saying anything. Not when it comes to you. I'm done with lying and posing in front of you"

"Aww, now I think you're the one that's cute" she said giggling. Jack laughed.

"Ok, no more wine for you" he said, pushing her cup away from her. Elsa got up from the stool she was sitting at.

"I need to go to the ladies room, I'll be back shortly" she said, as she started to walk away. Jack quickly wrapped an arm around her waist to stop her.

"Hey, hey, are you sure you can go by yourself?" he asked with concern. Elsa stared at him long enough for him to realize he was practically hugging her, which made him blush and quickly remove his hand.

Elsa giggled at this.

"I'm fine, Jack, I won't be long"

...

Meanwhile, very unlike them, Hiccup and Astrid were dancing in the other room. Hiccup couldn't believe it himself, but he was having a great time. Astrid was all for making them most of the evening and, even though he'd initially been against dancing, he was having a lot of fun doing so.

Hiccup pulled Astrid away from the dancing area, both of them breathing heavily.

"And you said you didn't dance!" she reminded between laughs. Hiccup laughed as well.

"At least I thought so! Looks like you bring that out in me, Astrid"

"Good to know! We gotta do it more often" she suggested. He smirked.

"Don't know about that, I'll think about it"

"Well, for now, I'm so thirsty my throat feels like a desert"

"Me too, it's from all the dancing and moving around. Wait here, I'll go get us some drinks" he said, rushing out of the room they were in. Astrid sat on the nearest available couch and sighed dreamily.

It was hard for her to admit it, but she was falling for him.

...

Elsa wasn't having any luck finding the bathroom, by a very unfortunate coincidence, she passed by Hiro and the others without them seeing her. Turning in every direction as she searched, she wasn't looking when she suddenly bumped straight into someone.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I-"

"Elsa?" her gaze went straight up and she found herself looking into those green eyes that had been hunting her thoughts.

"Hiccup... I didn't know you were here..." she said lamely, trying to divert her gaze quickly.

Hiccup, on the other hand, suddenly couldn't take his eyes off her. She was wearing the most gorgeous dress and her hair...

"You let your hair down" he pointed out, his right hand going up to gently pull on her braid, caressing the end. Elsa blushed.

"Yes"

_**Goddamnit, Elsa, why are you doing this to me?!**_ He screamed in his mind. Was she really going to ruin all of his efforts to not think about her with just appearing in front of him?

"Why?" he asked before he could stop himself. Elsa looked like she was about to cry.

"You said I looked good with my hair down" she admitted. Hiccup frowned.

"El, please don't make stuff up"

"I'm not"

"Why are you telling me this now?" he asked, his voice a little harsher than he originally intended. Elsa looked at him in disbelief.

"Because you asked!"

"But-" _**But what?**_ He thought. He didn't really know what to say, and he didn't want to say anything compromising or stupid.

He suddenly noticed the faint blush on her cheeks. A blush he knew all too well.

"El, have you been drinking?"

"Just a little..."

"You know you are a horrible drinker!" he reprimanded. She flinched.

"I'm sorry" she apologized, and started fidgeting with her braid, which made him grab her hands and hold them still in his. Hiccup had never seen her do that and thought it was the cutest thing he'd seen, which made him need to touch her. He chuckled and lowered his head until his forehead was pressed against hers.

"Gosh, Elsa, I miss you so much" he whispered. And even with the background music and the sound of all the people laughing and talking, she heard him loud and clear.

"I miss you too" she whispered back. Hiccup closed his eyes and sighed, their foreheads still pressed together.

"I just wanted to protect you" he said, excusing himself for everything he felt he'd done wrong.

"I know" she replied, and closed her eyes as well. Hiccup groaned.

"I don't understand. I don't know what I feel anymore. I thought I was sure but I'm not"

"I know what you mean" Elsa assured. Hiccup opened his eyes and pulled back a little to look at her.

"I came here with Astrid" he stated simply. Elsa nodded, feeling the inevitable pang of jealousy that made her feel guilty. She didn't have a right to feel jealous, Hiccup wasn't her boyfriend anymore. And besides...

"I came here with Jack" she admitted as well.

Hiccup chuckled without humor. He'd known that before she said it. He knew her that well. Nonetheless, it had felt almost physically painful to hear her say it.

"Figures" he muttered. Elsa frowned.

"What was that?"

"Well, he's made it quite clear up to now that he's interested in you. I'm not blaming you, though" he added the last statement quickly as he saw her expression. Elsa sighed.

"It was never my intention to make you feel bad"

"It wasn't mine either. I'm sorry, I know I was the one who broke up with you but... Damnit, Elsa, I didn't stop loving you overnight. Or wanting you. It's unfair of you to show up in front of me looking like... this" he said, pointing at her. She frowned.

"You just pointed to all of me"

"All of you is beautiful, El"

There was a silence between them suddenly, even though around them a part was happening. Hiccup sighed.

"Can I just... check something?" he asked cautiously.

Elsa looked at him questioningly, an eyebrow arched upwards in confusion. Hiccup sighed, and as he tilted his head and closed the distance between them, Elsa just closed her eyes and hoped.

For what? She didn't know herself.

...

"Elsa?" Jack called. She'd taken a long time and he was starting to get worried she'd gotten lost or tripped over something. He found Honey Lemon chatting with another girl and she quickly caught up to him.

"Jack! Where's Elsa?"

"I don't know, she said she was going to the bathroom but-"

"You let her go alone?!" she cut him off rather harshly, which startled him.

"Uh... yes? Shouldn't I have?"

"No! Oh god..." she said in concern, hurrying away from Jack. He ran behind her.

"Honey Lemon, wait! What is going on?! Where are you-" he almost ran into her when she stopped dead in her tracks. He was about to say something when he saw her face: she was covering her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide open in shock. He followed her gaze...

... and immediately regretted doing so.

It was Hiccup, holding Elsa's hands and leaning in with his head tilted sideways, kissing her tenderly. Elsa had her eyes closed and was kissing him back, a slight frown on her face that made it look like she was in pain.

Jack thought, in that moment, that he could almost hear the sound of his heart shattering into pieces.

...

...

I'm in tears, sorry for the cliffhanger.


	9. Party Aftermath

Sorry! I'm taking so long to update! Sorry, I haven't run out of ideas, don't panic xD I've just had a lot on my hands. Like right now, I shouldn't be updating fanfics, I should be working on tomorrow's presentation... ha

Anyways... THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE SUPPORT AND ALL YOUR REVIEWS!

And let the feels come!

...

...

Elsa wasn't listening to Mr. Weselton's lecture. She could only glance at both Jack's and Hiccup's empty seats and wonder if they were both ok or beating themselves up mentally like she was. Knowing Hiccup, he was probably going through the latter. Jack, though, was probably just done with putting up with her. Both possibilities made her feel horrible.

All of her classes went smoothly, but she wasn't paying attention. She wasn't even seeing as she would normally see.

Everything seemed to be in shades of blue and purple for her. Jack hadn't answered any of her calls or messages and Hiccup… she really didn't want to see Hiccup. She didn't know what to think of him. She did feel bad when she thought of him suffering but… did he maybe deserve it, just a little bit?

She needed to get out somehow, and she didn't want to go back home. Not that day anyway. Anna's and Rapunzel's questions would be more than she was willing to go through.

When class was over, she didn't hesitate.

She knew who to go to.

…

Jack fell silent, and all Dr. North could do for a moment was stare at him.

"But what did you do, when you saw Elsa kissing him?" he asked, urging him to continue the story. Jack chuckled and ran a hand through his hair, fast and aggressively, messing it up considerably.

"What could I do? I stared like the idiot I am. Then this blonde girl came, the girl who apparently Hiccup had brought to the party, and shouted his name in disbelief, like she really thought it was so impossible for them to be together..." he proceeded, his eyes lost in the memory of it all.

===FLASHBACK===

Hiccup let go of Elsa, almost shoving her away, at the sound of Astrid's voice. He turned to look at her.

"Astrid-"

"What are you... I don't understand!" she exclaimed, her eyes wide and shining with pain. Elsa's eyes had a similar expression, now that she'd seen Jack. Jack's face, though, could've won a poker match for its complete lack of expression. His eyes were unfocused, like he was not really seeing anything in front of him.

"Astrid, I'm sorry, I just..." Hiccup didn't really know what to say. What was he trying to apologize for? He and Astrid were just friends, right?

"It's ok" she said, lowering her gaze and throwing her hands open in front of her defensively. She took a couple of steps back "I knew you were in love with Elsa. I already knew that. You even told me. I knew" she knew she was blabbering, but she couldn't stop herself "I think I'll just go. Sorry" she said, turning around and running away.

Hiccup rushed behind her.

"Astrid! Astrid, wait!" they heard them yell as he left. Honey Lemon suddenly felt like an outsider, like watching a movie that she knew would end badly.

"Jack..." Elsa started to say, but Jack raised a hand in front of her, signaling for her to stop. He lowered his gaze.

"It's fine, Elsa. Like she said, I knew what Hiccup meant to you. I'm the one who got too carried away with his feelings. I wish you hadn't told me I had a chance, though"

"But… but he kissed me! Jack, I didn't-"

"You didn't stop him" he cut her off, looking up at her with a sad smile.

Elsa could only stare at him, fear reflected in her beautiful eyes. It pained him to look at her.

"Anyway… see you in school" he said, before turning to leave. Elsa didn't stop him.

He didn't look back.

===END OF FLASHBACK===

"So you left her there even though you'd arrived at the party together?" Dr. North asked, a hint of accusation in his voice. Jack glared at him.

"I didn't exactly think it through, ok? Yes, I did regret doing that, but it's done and I can't really do much about that now"

"What are you going to do then?"

"Nothing. There's just two weeks left before finals and I have never missed a Global Studies class so I'm just going to skip what's left of it. This campus is big and I hadn't run into Elsa before, I think I can continue to not see her for the rest of my time here and just get on with my life"

"So, like always, you're going to run away from everything" Dr. North said with a disapproving look. Jack threw his arms up in frustration.

"What else can I do?!"

"I don't know… maybe fulfill your promise of being there for her no matter what? You did mention you said something along those lines. Isn't that why you gave her your number? Or was it really just part of your plan to seduce her eventually?"

Jack was glaring at him furiously by now, fists clenched against his knees as he sat straight on the edge of the couch. He always hated when Dr. North was so right, but this time it was driving him nuts. He had, after all, made a promise to Elsa. He'd promised he'd be there for her, and he hadn't delivered.

Seeing how Jack couldn't really reply to that, Dr. North's gaze on him softened.

"You are reacting before thinking this through. Like before, when your mother left. Consider how reacting wrongly affects YOU, more than it does anyone else"

Jack groaned and held his head with his hands, like he was having a terrible headache. Dr. North sighed.

"Jack..." he started, reaching out to place one of his big, sturdy hands on his shoulder "You'd be doing yourself a favor if you go about this business with a little more patience. Don't go all aggressive on me again. Think this through a bit more... What is wrong in this picture? Elsa's feelings right now are frail, you knew that. But so are Hiccup's. Chances are that kiss didn't mean as much as you think"

"What should I do, then?" Jack asked, feeling hopeless. Dr. North have him a reassuring smile.

"Just wait and listen. Elsa will probably reach out to you" he said, which made Jack feel a bit guilty.

"She already has, I just haven't answered the phone" he confessed.

"Well, it's your decision, Jack, but I really think you should be a little less harsh with her. Not for her sake, but for yours"

...

Hiccup found himself sitting at his usual table at the cafeteria, not knowing how he'd gone through his entire day. Astrid hadn't ignored him in class as he thought she would, but she was being overly polite with him.

Like he was some stranger.

He didn't mention the party, and neither did she. He'd wanted to, but he didn't know what to say.

His mind went back to that Saturday evening. Elsa had kissed him back, but it had felt almost like she was being forced to do so. _**Well, she practically was, you idiot**_ he thought self-deprecatingly.

Once again, he'd made a mess if everything. And he'd hurt Astrid...

===FLASHBACK===

"Astrid, please listen to me!" Hiccup pleaded as he caught up with the girl and grabbed her forearm to stop her.

She turned around to look at him and he was astonished to see she was crying. He had never even imagined a girl as strong as Astrid crying. She quickly looked away.

"Sorry, Hiccup, you didn't really do anything wrong..." she practically whispered, though Hiccup could hear her clearly.

"I... I can't help but think that I did. Why are you upset? Is it because I left you waiting? I'm really sorry, I-"

"No, Hiccup, you don't get it" she said, shaking her head slowly, wiping off her tears hastily with her right hand "It's my problem"

"What?"

"I think I like you" she bravely admitted, looking up at him straight in the eyes "Not like a friend. I think I'm falling for you. I thought you were headed in that direction as well, but you probably aren't" she chuckled after her last sentence, and she seemed to be laughing at her own ingenuity for even considering it. Hiccup stared at her in shock.

"You like me? You, Astrid?"

"Why are you so surprised?" she asked, sounding hurt. She shook her head quickly and shrugged off his grip on her arm "No, don't answer that. Just let me go" she said, rushing away from him.

This time he didn't follow, though he did there long enough to see Jack walk by, looking similarly shaken and upset.

"Astrid likes you, doesn't she?" he heard Elsa's voice as she approached him. She stood next to him, hugging her middle, a sad smile on her face. He looked away.

"Was it so obvious to everyone but me?" he asked dejectedly. Elsa nodded.

"I think I've known for a long time, even before she knew it herself"

"And it never bothered you?" he asked, surprised. If she'd known for a long time, she'd known while she was still dating him, and that certainly bothered him. Elsa just shrugged.

"I never gave it much thought, and I trusted you. Plus, I don't know her very well but I know her enough. She's not the kind of girl to go for a guy who's taken. I actually like Astrid, she's a very strong girl, very different from me"

"Are you putting yourself down again?"

"No, I'm not saying she's better than me, I'm saying she might be better for you"

"Is Jack better for you?" he hadn't meant to sound so bitter, but it came out like that anyway. Elsa glared at him.

"All I know is..." she started, and Hiccup could tell she was angry but was doing her very best to stay calm "... you and I can't be more than friends, and right now, we can't be anything"

And with that, she stormed away from him.

===END OF FLASHBACK===

"Is this seat taken?" the question startled Hiccup, pulling him violently out of his train of thought.

Astrid was standing next to where he was seated, looking at him blankly. He jumped up from his chair.

"Astrid! Hey, Astrid! Uh, please..." he pulled out a chair for her himself "... take a seat"

"Thanks" she said without emotion, though he could see she was restraining herself from smiling at his clumsiness. He relaxed a bit.

"Listen, Astrid, I'm sorry about-"

"It's ok, Elsa called me yesterday" she interrupted. Hiccup looked shocked.

"S-she did?" he asked lamely. Astrid shrugged.

"I gave her my number when the whole Hans thing happened and you ended up at the nurse's, I wanted her to keep me posted. Anyways, she said she felt the need to apologize, even though she hadn't started anything, but you'd already told her you were there with me and that made her feel bad. Though why you were there with me in the first place is something I don't really understand" she sounded bitter saying that last sentence, which made Hiccup cringe a bit. He felt awfully guilty.

"Don't say that... I enjoy spending time with you, Astrid. I've just been awfully confused lately and... well, I've downright done some seriously stupid shit. I didn't see it like that at first, of course, but I understand now. I've been playing with Elsa's feelings and yours. And it hasn't been that easy on myself either" he admitted, casting his eyes down, not really wanting to look at her directly.

They stayed in silence for a moment, Astrid not really knowing how to reply to that. Truth be told, she wasn't really mad at him. She was sad about how things had happened and she was mad at herself for getting carried away, but she understood the bond Elsa and Hiccup had shared and what it did to them.

"I shouldn't have kissed Elsa. I see that now, I just ended up hurting her even though that's the one thing I promised I wouldn't do" he said sadly.

Astrid nodded, accepting this. It had been easy on no one.

"The real mystery for me is..." he continued, surprising her a bit since she wasn't expecting him to say anything else "...why you still seem to want to be around me" he added sheepishly, still not looking at her. Astrid chuckled without humor.

"You know, I don't really know myself"

"I'm sorry for neglecting you at the party" he continued, looking up at her hopefully "I'm sorry for what I did... actually, I need to apologize to Elsa as well. You seem pretty collected, but she was pissed off" he made a pained expression saying that last part, looking away guiltily. Astrid nodded.

"I don't blame her. You know, I actually really like Elsa, even though our relationship hasn't been that close" she admitted with half a grin. Hiccup smiled shyly back at her.

"I'm really glad to hear that" he said "I know it won't happen any time soon, much less now after the mess I made on Saturday, but I'd really like to be friends with Elsa again sometime and... well..." he blushed, thinking about how to say everything.

Astrid smiled, waiting patiently for him to finish. She wanted to hear him say it.

"...I would really like to see where this goes. You and me, I mean. You already are a big part of my life and I would like you to be even more" he added, looking at her warily "... if you still want to, that is"

She stared at him, considering what he'd just said with a thoughtful expression on her face.

Slowly, she nodded and started to get up from the table. Hiccup jumped up from his own chair, alarmed.

"I'm sorry! Did I say something-? OW!" he was interrupted by Astrid punching him hard on his shoulder. He held onto the wounded area and looked at her with a grown "what the HELL, Astrid?!"

"That was for Saturday night" she said angrily.

Her expression softened immediately, though, as she grabbed the front of his sorry and pulled him towards her, kissing him briefly on the lips. She laughed at his face that reflected pure astonishment.

"And that was for everything else"

…

Jack had just come out of his meeting with North and, looking down over the handrail of the third floor, he had witnessed Astrid and Hiccup's little encounter. He stared blankly as Astrid let go of him and left, looking satisfied with herself. Hiccup stood there motionless for a long while before his face broke into a stupid grin.

_**Idiot, that's more than what you deserve**_ he thought. Oh, how he wished things were that easy for him. To just be able to exchange a few words with Elsa (he hadn't heard what they talked about, but really, how meaningful could it have been?) and then get HER to kiss HIM.

Should he be seeking Hiccup's help for pointers on that one? Ha, as if.

"Stupid, skinny idiot" he mumbled under his breath. He was angry and sad and… he didn't know what else. He was directing all his negative vibe towards Hiccup, though, because he had to be honest with himself:

He wanted to see Elsa again.

Plus, Hiccup was there grinning like an idiot because ANOTHER GIRL had kissed him! He couldn't possibly give a damn about Elsa. He'd been playing her, unconsciously or not, and Jack was furious at him. Even if it was way more probable that he hadn't done any of it on purpose, Jack hated his guts for playing like that with Elsa's feelings. And messing with his as a result.

He wished he could just to go back to that Saturday afternoon, when he'd just been told by Elsa that he had a chance, and he thought all he was required to do was wait for her to be ready. He'd been prepared to do just that: Wait and wait and keep being kind and supportive. He had seen it happening in his head, he'd seen everything going smoothly and Elsa growing to love him just as much as he loved her. He'd been so caught up in his fantasy that he hadn't been at all prepared to go through what had happened later that day.

Jack sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time that day. He knew he couldn't possibly turn back time, so he could at least wait for Elsa to call again, or send a message.

This time he would answer.

...

Another day had passed and Elsa hadn't contacted him again at all.

Jack was starting to feel uneasy. Walking aimlessly throughout the campus, he let his negative conclusions get the better off him. Was she ticked off because he hadn't answered before? Should he call her instead?

He didn't want to call her, he wanted it to come from her. He wanted to know she was thinking about him, even if it was just a little.

Had Hiccup's kiss awoken feelings inside her? His stomach turned at the mere thought. If that was the case, he was going to beat the crap out of that idiot Hiccup Haddock. What if it was that, though? What if Elsa was considering getting back with Hiccup while said individual was already thinking about a new relationship with someone else? If that was the case, he was seriously going to injure him.

His violent thoughts were interrupted when he saw a girl sitting under the shade of a tree. She looked depressed, and was sitting there alone, hugging her bent legs. She looked familiar...

Oh, that's right!

"Uh... You're Elsa's sister" he called, making her turn at him, a bit startled.

"You!" she exclaimed, jumping to her feet and rushing towards him. Jack stared at her in confusion.

"Me? What-?"

"You're Jack, the guy who went out with Elsa on Saturday!"

"Uh... yes"

"Is it you? Did she stay with you last night?"

"What?"

"Don't play dumb with me! Elsa didn't come home yesterday and she said she was staying at a friend's house. She's obviously not staying with Hiccup because of what happened, so she must be staying with you!"

"No, she's not! Didn't she tell you who she was staying with?"

"No! She hasn't answered any of my messages or calls! She said she needed time to herself and then I think she turned off her phone because Rapunzel hasn't been able to get to her either! I don't know what to do! I know I ask too many questions sometimes but it's because I care! I want her to trust me!" Anna was openly crying by now, and Jack was starting to feel both uncomfortable and worried.

But then something clicked in his mind.

"I think I know where she is" he declared. Anna stared at him, visibly surprised.

"You do? How?" she inquired with curiosity, hastily wiping off her tears with her long sleeves "it's not another guy, is it?"

Jack groaned and blushed, scratching the back of his head as he dialed a number on his phone.

"Yes it is" he replied, putting the phone to his ear "hi, Honey Lemon? I need to know where Hiro lives"

...

Jack pushed the door of the small café, letting both Anna and himself in. A cheerful short-haired woman in an apron came rushing towards them.

"Hi! Welcome! Table for two?" she asked hurriedly.

"Uh... Actually... We came here looking for Hiro" Jack answered shyly. This woman was very intimidatingly happy.

"Oh! You must be friends from college! He and Elsa are watching movies upstairs, go right ahead!" she said pointing at a staircase and rushing away towards another customer.

Anna looked at Jack. They'd been silent the whole way there.

"So who is this Hiro? I didn't know there was a third guy, my sister's on fire!" she exclaimed in good humor. Jack chuckled.

"Well, it's not quite like that" he replied as they started going up the stairs "Hiro is a little different. Little being the keyword here"

They could already hear the TV.

When they reached the first floor, they saw the back of Elsa's head. She was sitting on the couch, apparently alone, and the TV was playing the third Harry Potter movie.

"Elsa?" Anna called, walking towards the couch. Elsa turned carefully.

"Anna? How did you know where I was?" she whispered in reply.

"Jack brought me here. Why are we whispering?" she asked in the same hushed tone. Elsa pointed towards her lap, and Anna came around the couch to see the very cute boy sleeping with his head on Elsa's legs.

Jack followed her and grunted as he saw it _**This boy! **_He thought in annoyance, feeling all kinds of jealous.

"Awww who's that? He's so cute!"

"This is Hiro" Elsa introduced briefly.

"What?! THIS is Hiro?!" exclaimed Anna, making him stir and slowly wake up. Elsa glared at her and Anna just mouthed a small 'sorry'.

"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" Hiro said as he rubbed his eyes and sat up straight. He then noticed Jack and glared at him "What are YOU doing here? You've been ignoring Elsa!" he accused.

Anna turned to look at Jack in disbelief, but Elsa interceded quickly on his behalf.

"It's fine, Anna, Hiro, I deserved it" she explained. She then turned to Jack, looking at him as expressionless as she could manage "Thank you for helping my sister, Jack, it must have been bothersome for you. You don't have to stay here"

"Do you want me to leave?" he asked, enunciating every word insistently. Elsa stared at him, surprised.

"I didn't say I wanted you to leave, I just-"

"Then I'm not leaving" he replied, crossing his arms in front of his chest and leaning against the wall.

"Elsa, please don't ever disappear on us again! Rapunzel was very worried too! We love you!" Anna exclaimed. Elsa flinched at her hurt expression.

"I'm sorry! I needed time, and you guys make lots of questions I wasn't ready to answer" she explained. Anna sighed and pulled her into a tight hug.

"We're sorry, we figured that was why you were reluctant to come home. We know we come on too strong sometimes but it's only because we care" she assured. Elsa hugged her back.

"I'm sorry for not considering your feelings, I love you" she replied. Hiro and Jack smiled at them dreamily, both thinking of their time lost with their siblings.

Hiro cleared his throat to call everyone's attention.

"So, now that everyone is here... Let me go get you something from the café. Jack, will you help me?" he said, gesturing at Jack to follow him. Jack immediately understood that Hiro wanted to give the girls some time alone, so he quickly agreed and they both went downstairs, leaving Elsa and Anna to catch up on whatever.

When they reached the coffee bar, Hiro exchanged a few words with the woman that had received them first, and then motioned for Jack to follow him. Jack took a seat while Hiro, with the help of a small three-step ladder, started making some cappuccinos.

"Is she your aunt?" Jack asked, trying to make small-talk to get rid of the awkward. Hiro nodded.

"Yeah, she's always like that, you know, overly cheerful"

"Must be nice to have that much positive energy"

"I know, right? Always envied her for that"

They stayed silent again, and Hiro was almost done with the second cappuccino when he decided to speak again.

"So Honey Lemon told me what happened on Saturday"

Jack was taken aback by his bluntness, though he couldn't tell what expression he had accompanied that statement with. He briefly pondered on how frequently he underestimated Hiro because of his age, neglecting the fact that he was almost fifteen and… that he was a teenager.

"It hit the fan, I guess" was all he could think of replying. Hiro shrugged.

"I think you shouldn't hold it against Elsa. We talked a bit about it, of course I tried not to ask questions because I think that's exactly what she was trying to avoid, but from what I gathered… she'd much rather have spoken with you" the last bit came out a bit too accusing, and Jack suddenly felt uncomfortable on his bar stool.

"Yeah, I'll apologize for that. I didn't take it all that well and… well, I started avoiding her, that wasn't cool of me" he admitted, which elicited a very unpleasant snort from Hiro.

"What a stupid thing to say, 'that wasn't cool of me'. You made Elsa cry" he accused. Jack stared at him in awe.

"You really hate me, don't you?" he decided to ask directly, and Hiro seemed to consider this for a moment.

"Nah, I don't hate you. I don't particularly like you right now, though, but I used to beat myself up over the fact that I couldn't compete with you just because I'm a lot younger. I really like Elsa, you know?"

"Yeah, I know"

"And I think neither you nor that Hiccup are taking her as seriously as I probably would've if I was of a more appropriate age. And it really bothers me"

"I… understand that" Jack answered cautiously. He wasn't very happy with this last comment, but he was already on Hiro's bad side and didn't want to make things worse.

Suddenly, though, Hiro looked rather smug for some reason.

"But... Elsa told me something that made me feel a lot better about this whole situation, so we're cool" Hiro added, finishing up his fourth cappuccino, and starting to lay them on a tray. Jack arched an eyebrow at him.

"Oh? What did she tell you?" he asked, his voice dripping with curiosity. Hiro added four blueberry muffins to the tray and then picked it up and shoved it towards Jack, who had no option but to grab it. The boy smirked.

"I'm not telling" he said in satisfaction "Come on, help me bring that up" and with that, he started making his way upstairs again, jumping happily now and then. Jack stared after him in disbelief, and then followed him grumpily and making sure he didn't drop anything on his way.

After a while, the four of them were sitting around the TV, not really watching anything but chatting and laughing at whatever dumb topics came up. The atmosphere has changed and both Anna and Elsa looked a lot better. Elsa was studiously avoiding Jack's eyes, and he took note of this. He was going to make things right.

The hours went by and it got late real quick.

"Guys, we probably need to get going" Anna announced, and she and Elsa got up.

"Yes, it's been a great evening, thank you for everything, Hiro, you're the best" Elsa said, leaning down to give Hiro a chaste kiss on his forehead. The boy blushed and chuckled.

"Anytime" he replied, and smirked at Jack. Jack huffed.

"Well, I'm gonna take off as well, I'll walk you girls back home" he stated, making Elsa look embarrassed.

"Oh, you don't have to do that, Jack" she assured. Jack smiled at her.

"I want to do it, come on"

...

They continued chatting all the way back to Elsa and Anna's apartment. Once they were there, Jack was starting to feel a little disappointed that he hadn't got the time alone to properly talk to Elsa, but Anna seemed to read his mind.

"Thank you so much for walking us all the way here, Jack. Now, I'm gonna head inside, but you guys take your time, ok?" she said with a wink. Elsa turned to look at her in desperation.

"Anna-"

"No, sis. You guys need to talk. WE talked about this, remember? Just… take your time" she assured, placing a hand on her shoulder. She then turned to Jack again "See you around, Jack"

"Bye, Anna" he said, just as the girl disappeared behind the front door of the apartment.

Elsa kept her gaze firmly fixed on the ground.

"So… I'm glad you got acquainted with my sister. She's a bit too much sometimes, but you get used to it" she said shyly. Jack chuckled.

"Anna's nice. You're lucky to have her" he said, a hint of nostalgia in his voice. Elsa immediately looked guilty.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No, no, it's ok, I didn't say it because of that" Jack hurried to explain "I just wanted you to know I think your sister's really nice"

"Oh... Thanks. Sorry for jumping to conclusions"

"Don't worry about it" he dismissed with a slight wave of his hand. Both of them were avoiding each other's gaze up to now, but Jack made an extra effort and peeked at her sideways.

"Jack... I just..." she started, looking up at him as well "... I wanted to apologize for Saturday night. I wanted you to know that I didn't kiss Hiccup on my own accord. And I know I didn't stop him either but... I don't know, I couldn't just push him away, I-"

"You were confused. I understand, I'm sorry for being an ass and not answering your calls or messages. I actually had a long talk with Dr. North about it..." he explained, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. Elsa seemed very surprised by this last statement.

"Really? You talk about me in your sessions?"

"Uh... yeah, I mean... uh... yeah, I talk about you"

There was another long silence. Jack sighed.

"Look, Elsa, I think our relationship - be it just a friendship or whatever you want it to be in the long run - made serious progress on Saturday, and I... well, I would hate it if it all went to hell just because of one misunderstanding. Can we just... stop being all awkward and weird around each other? We were already past that" he pleaded, looking up at her. Elsa blushed.

"I would like that" she replied, allowing herself a small, shy smile. Jack responded with a half grin himself.

"Ok then. I guess I'll see you in class" he said a little more cheerfully. Elsa nodded.

"See you in class, Jack" she replied. Jack nodded and was turning around to leave when he felt Elsa's hand on his arm.

He turned back towards her questioningly.

"Wait..." she said, and leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek.

Jack turned his head too much, though, and it ended being a kiss on the corner of his lips.

Elsa withdrew quickly, blushing furiously.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... I was going to..." she tried to excuse herself, feeling she could die of embarrassment as she stared at Jack's astonished expression.

Suddenly, before she could bring herself to complete a coherent sentence, Jack burst into a good-humored fit of laughter. Elsa stared at him, her big pretty eyes still shining a bit with embarrassment. His laughter soon got to her, though, and then they were both laughing. No more words were needed on the subject.

When they finally calmed down, Jack smiled at her sweetly and tugged affectionately on her braid, caressing the end of her beautiful blond hair.

"Good night, Elsie" he said, finally turning around to leave. When he'd disappeared down the stairs of the apartment building, Elsa let herself sigh dreamily and lean against the door, feeling her knees weaken a little.

...

...

Someone's making progress! (finally, lol)


	10. Final Exams

Hey guys! Before we start, quick inquiry: Should I make this story M Rated and go into detail with Jack and Elsa's developing relationship? I wasn't planning to, but this story is carrying me there xD Still, I want to know what you guys think.

Thank you so much everyone for all of your reviews! There were a lot of intense guest reviews, I think it was the same person but can't tell xD I just have one word for you: Patience. This fic is long, things don't happen fast.

Anyway, won't stop you for longer. On with the story!

...

...

Hiccup walked into the Global Studies classroom determined to sit behind Elsa like he always did, only to find that she'd changed her usual seat. She had chosen the far bottom corner, so there was nothing behind her besides the wall. Jack was sitting next to her, but they weren't really talking to each other. Jack was focused on a book, highlighting stuff with a marker now and then, and Elsa was scribbling something on her notebook. Both had earphones on.

Scowling, he went to the very front of that small row and slumped in the chair. Their behavior would have been normal pre-finals behavior if they weren't so studiously and obviously avoiding him.

"This is gonna be harder than I thought" he muttered to himself. As Mr. Weselton's class started, he decided he would try to get a head start, so he took out his phone and opened a new conversation with Elsa.

Elsa was just putting away her earphones when her phone vibrated. She liked at the main screen notification and then at Hiccup, who was focused on the front, where Mr. Weselton was currently taking about how he'd hated some of the essays that had been turned in.

She swiped the notification and opened the message with curiosity. She frowned.

It was a picture of herself, sitting on the floor of Hiccup's apartment, sitting in front of her laptop (which was also on the floor), a cookie hanging from her mouth while she typed something. She had a slight frown on her face and was wearing a t-shirt and sweat pants, and her hair was up in her usual, intricate bun.

**Hiccup** - I miss this Elsa.

Elsa's frown deepened. What the hell was he trying to say? She tugged absentmindedly on her loose braid before replying.

**Elsa** - thought you liked my hair down

She looked up and saw him at the front row of seats, reaching for his phone. He didn't take long to reply.

**Hiccup** - that is not what I meant, though

**Elsa** - what did you mean, then?

**Hiccup** - I miss the Elsa that was my friend

**Elsa** - we already talked about this

**Hiccup** - I know, but I still miss you. You're avoiding me

**Elsa** - how observant of you

**Hiccup** - why are you avoiding me?

**Elsa** - why did you kiss me on Saturday?

**Hiccup** - I'm sorry, El, I messed up. I know I haven't been fair to you

**Elsa** - you're not even interested in me like that anymore

**Hiccup** - how are you so sure about that?

**Elsa** - Jack saw you kissing Astrid

Hiccup clenched his free hand into a fist. He felt the anger rise in his chest, and had to take a deep breath before answering.

**Hiccup** - Jack? You mean your date, Jack? That Jack?

**Elsa** - I'm not accusing you of kissing Astrid

**Hiccup** - it sounded a lot like that

**Elsa** - I don't care if you kiss Astrid. You might as well sleep with her, for all I care! You kissed ME and it didn't mean anything to you. That's what makes me angry.

Hiccup sighed. He put his phone down for a moment and ran a hand through his hair. Elsa was right, he didn't really have a reason to be mad at her. He was kinda mad at Jack for telling her about Astrid (and freaked out that he'd been watching) but he was the only one to blame.

When he picked up his phone again, he had more new messages.

**Elsa** - you think I'm going to forgive you for everything just because we used to be best friends

**Elsa** - well I'm not an idiot

**Elsa** - I spoke to Astrid, by the way, on YOUR behalf, trying to help you!

And he sighed again.

**Hiccup** - I'm sorry, El, really! Please don't say we used to be friends. I don't want to lose you.

**Hiccup** - If I kissed you it was only because I still have strong feelings for you and I just couldn't deal with that right at that moment. I know it was selfish of me, and I'm sorry. I really want to be your friend again.

**Hiccup** - Sorry for lashing out on you about Jack, I'm ok with it, really.

**Hiccup** - And I do appreciate what you did for me, El, Astrid told me.

There was a pause in their written conversation that to Hiccup seemed like it lasted centuries. Mr. Weselton was rambling on about a debate on World Economy he wanted everyone to "voluntarily" attend to when Elsa finally answered.

**Elsa** - don't call me El.

Those four words made his heart break in two. He didn't answer, and she didn't text him again. He didn't look back to see what expression she had on her face. If he had, though, he would've seen she was hardly holding back tears, holding a fist to her mouth to give herself strenght.

Jack did see, and looked at her with worry. Elsa unblocked her phone, opened the conversation and handed it to him wordlessly.

When Jack scrolled through it, he sighed with a heavy heart. He really wasn't happy that Elsa and Hiccup's relationship had crashed and burned like that, even if he thought Hiccup deserved it a little. He knew it was too hard on Elsa, so he couldn't bring himself to be happy about Hiccup's karma.

When class was over, Hiccup dashed out of the room, not looking back.

...

"You don't need to over think your situation" Jack commented that Friday afternoon.

He and Elsa were sitting under the shade of a tree, still in campus. She had been pretending to read something out of her textbook, but she hadn't turned the page in a while and Jack had noticed she was drifting away.

They'd agreed to study together, even though their subjects were completely different, but Elsa enjoyed Jack's company, and he'd admitted the same thing before.

"What?"

"You're thinking about your conversation with Hiccup again"

Elsa was amazed at how quickly Jack seemed to be learning how to read her moods and gestures. She wanted to think she was getting just as attuned to him, but she truthfully wasn't that good at casual observation.

"I don't like fighting with him, but I don't feel like letting all of this go" she explained, and Jack nodded knowingly.

"I know, what I meant is... Well, if you can't fix it right away, then try not to think about it. Hiccup is coping with this his own way, he's a big guy. I'm sure he can take care of himself while your heart heals" he grinned at her, all the time trying to sound as soothing as he could. Elsa smiled at him.

"I guess you're right"

"When do you start exams or final project presentations?"

"Uh... Next Monday" she cringed at the thought. That was going to be one hectic week.

"Great, then you'll be busy. I start on Wednesday and still have a lot to do before then. We're probably not going to see a lot of each other, and you're certainly not going to see Hiccup, so just take this time to focus"

"We're not going to see each other?" she asked, a bit of fear being her words. Jack smiled at her apologetically.

"Sorry, you know I love being with you but I need to get some work done and I'll have a very tight schedule for the following two weeks" he explained.

Elsa sighed and leaned back against the tree.

"You're right. Actually starting Monday I'll have to be at the serigraphy lab during the afternoons" she recalled having written her name down, since spaces to work there were limited.

They stayed in silence for a while. It was a very nice day, not a cloud in the sky and sunny with a very nice weather.

Jack looked at Elsa, who had closed her eyes and seemed to be deep in her own meditation. He was amazed by how beautiful she was. Was it something only he could see? Why didn't she have guys all over her all the time? Well, she didn't spend every waking moment with him, so maybe she did have people interested that he didn't know of. But then why was she sitting next to him?

She looked particularly good that day. She was wearing an off-the-shoulders long sleeved blouse with stripes in navy blue and white that went all the way down to her hips, black leggings with star patterns near the ends and navy blue flats. Her hair was again up in her intricate braided bun. He'd pouted a bit over the return of that particular hairstyle, but he had to admit one thing: watching her pull at her bun and release her long braid after long hours of studying was mind-blowing. She looked way too sexy doing that, and she seemed completely oblivious to it.

Elsa, on the other hand, was thinking about how comfortable she'd grown to be around Jack in a matter of days. It seemed implausible that they hadn't been talking to each other on Monday after what had happened during the weekend. The rest of the week, though, they'd devoted themselves to studying for their finals in each other's company, in peaceful silence. And how she had enjoyed that silence.

Sometimes she would be just listening to music on her iPod, and sometimes she would be listening to Jack's breathing and the environmental noise of wherever they were. They had stayed in campus until late at night, when he would walk her back to her apartment and they would chat about everything and nothing.

When she opened her eyes, she met face to face with Jack's phone. He'd taken a picture of her.

"JACK!" she exclaimed, quickly reaching for his phone. Jack snatched it away in time.

"What?! You snooze, you lose!"

"Why did you take my picture?! I was on another planet right now! Was I drooling? I bet I was drooling! GIVE ME THAT!" she exclaimed, half pretend-angry and half laughing, reaching out repeatedly to get a hold of Jack's phone. Jack was avoiding her and laughing along.

"You were NOT drooling! Stop being so paranoid! You look good!"

"THEN LET ME SEE!"

"No! You'll erase it!"

"WHY would you want that picture there! Erase it now!"

"NO!"

"Why do you want that?!"

"Because you look beautiful, ok?"

Elsa froze. Jack had a hand firmly gripping her right shoulder, holding his phone far back with his free hand. She was gripping his shirt with one hand and reaching for the phone with the other, and was practically straddling him, his lips currently very close to her right ear. He'd lowly whispered that last phrase, and she had heard it clearly.

She pulled away from him and stared into his eyes, her lips slightly parted in surprise.

"What?" she asked breathlessly. Jack snorted, recovering his posture and putting his cell phone back into his pocket.

"Come on, I've told you that before" he said dismissively, trying his best to ignore the blush he could very clearly feel rising on his cheeks.

Elsa pushed some strands of hair behind her ear and looked away, her face red as a tomato. Jack cleared his throat, covering his mouth with his closed fist, as if that could make his skin color return to normal.

"I wanted a picture of you" he admitted.

Then he heard a click

"Ok then I get one as well" she said candidly, later laughing at the horrified expression on his face.

"Hey, you could've just told me! GIVE ME THAT!"

…

During the following weeks, Elsa and Jack didn't see each other at all. In fact, Elsa barely saw anyone. She had so much work to do and so little time... but they were the finals. Just that final push and everything would be over for the semester.

She didn't even see Jack on the final Global Studies presentation, since it was an individual presentation and Mr. Weselton has given each student a time in which they had to go deliver their final project. On the bright side, she hasn't seen Hiccup either.

She felt relieved when she walked out of her last exam on Friday. First thing she did was text Jack. She took a selfie of herself making the 'V' sign with her left hand and attached it to the message.

**Elsa** - Finally free! And this last one was easy

To her delight, Jack answered almost immediately.

**Jack** - I'm free since yesterday, was waiting for you to show signs of life.

**Jack** - you look beautiful as always, BTW

Elsa couldn't help but blush as she read the last part.

**Elsa** - shut up! I'm tired, my hair's a mess and I got bags under my eyes

**Elsa** - I look awful!

**Jack** - beautiful

She shook her head with a smile. She hadn't seen much of Jack lately, but she'd certainly read a lot. They'd been texting each other silly things with each opportunity.

She also had a lot of pictures of him now, lots of selfies originated that last afternoon they'd been together, fighting over the camera. Elsa smiled at the memory. It had been fun.

**Jack** - so what do you want to do?

**Jack** - I'm assuming you texted me because you can't go another second without my glorious presence.

Elsa laughed reading that. Jack had a habit of making that type of egocentric jokes.

**Elsa** - get over yourself

**Elsa** - I'm hungry. I want you to feed me

**Jack** - ok, your highness, what does my queen want to have for lunch?

**Elsa** - I wouldn't mind some sushi

**Jack** - I wouldn't mind that either. Where are you?

**Jack** - oh, nevermind, I see you

Confused, Elsa turned around to see Jack making his way towards her through the crowd of students that had gathered in the hallways. She smiled at him sweetly.

"Hey Jack, I thought you'd be home since you didn't have finals today" she said as soon as he was within reach. Jack got close to her and kissed her on the cheek, as casually as if he was doing something he did everyday. Elsa was momentarily stunned by this, even though Jack appeared unfazed by both his action and her resultant expression.

"I was, but then I remembered you did have finals today and came. I just got here, it was perfect timing that you just finished your exam" he explained, his stunning, confident grin making Elsa's blush grow exponentially.

"Oh, that's... nice of you" she said, finding herself at a loss of words.

Jack, however, seemed giddy with anticipation of their afternoon together. He was really excited, to say the least, having craved Elsa's presence for days and now finally finding himself in front of her.

"Well, let's go then! Food is on me"

...

Anna was walking back from the library and almost bumped into Hiccup, who currently was headed there.

"Oh hey there, Anna! Watch where you're going" he said with a half grin. Anna smiled.

"Hey Hiccup! How's everything going? Haven't seen you in a while"

"Fine, I just have one more final tomorrow and I'm free to go back to my mom's for the summer. How about you? Big plans for the summer?"

"Yeah, me, Merida and Rapunzel are going to Merida's over at Scotland, it's going to be great!" she exclaimed excitedly. Hiccup looked confused.

"Wait, just the three of you? Elsa's not going?" he asked. Anna looked sideways, suddenly feeling she was going to say more than she should. Hiccup noticed this "it's fine, Anna, you can tell me. I'm not going to feel bad about myself or anything, your sister and I sorted out the fact that we no longer feel that way for each other"

"Y-yeah, she told me. But she also said she's not speaking to you right now"

"Oh, that... yeah, she's not. I'm giving it time, though... I want to be her friend again, someday" he said hopefully. Anna smiled.

"I hope you guys go back to that as well" she replied, truthfully, relaxing a little "Elsa's actually gonna stay here during the summer. She's going to work for Hiro's aunt at the café"

"Really? Why did she get a job?"

"She said she wanted to be busy to sort herself out and make some money at the same time. Said the last thing she needed was to be idle, even though I made the argument that me and the girls won't exactly be idle. She still chose to stay. I think she needs time to herself" she said, shrugging even though Hiccup could see the situation bothered her.

For some reason, unknown to even himself, he acted on his impulse driven by jealousy.

"And what about Overland? Is he staying as well? Did she choose to stay because of that, or are you not allowed to tell me?"

Anna looked at him for a moment, her gaze judging him for what he'd just said. Hiccup squirmed a bit, only now regretting his words.

"You know, Hiccup? While you continue acting like a neglected boyfriend, you have no chance of being Elsa's friend ever. You think about that" she said, pointing a finger at him to emphasize her last sentence "See you around"

Hiccup stared at Anna as she walked away from him, feeling defeated. She was right, and he didn't quite know how to fix it. Fix himself. He had to understand what was going through his head before he could allow himself to get closer to Astrid.

He didn't want to hurt her too.

...

"Why do you find this so surprising?" Elsa asked as she picked another sushi slice with her chopsticks. Jack chuckled.

"I guess I never pictured you as a waitress. But it makes sense that it'll be at Hiro's. When did that happen?"

"I went by on Saturday and he wasn't home. I ended up chatting with his aunt and she offered it. I thought it was perfect, I'm not really in the mood for a girly trip with my sister and friends. I want to be on my own for a while"

Jack would've lied if he told anyone he wasn't a little hurt that she'd taken the time to go see Hiro and yet hadn't even called him, but he knew he was being irrational. Elsa had developed a sisterly love for Hiro, even if the boy's feelings weren't quite like that.

"I guess I understand" he stated simply, omitting his incoherent jealousy.

"What about you? You're going back to visit your father?"

"Nah, I hate going back to my father. I always stay here during the summer. I even have a recurrent job as an intern at a local magazine doing some basic editorial work" he dismissed, hoping Elsa wouldn't pursue the subject any further. He was wrong.

"What? Why do you hate seeing your father?" she asked in concern. Jack sighed.

"I don't hate seeing my father, I just don't feel comfortable going back to his house because of... well, that other woman"

"Oh... your father is seeing someone?" Elsa inquired with caution, making Jack snort in amusement.

"He remarried a couple of years ago. Dana even has a son, a twelve year old boy from a previous marriage. They have a family, a new family, and I... well, I've never felt that I belong there" he admitted, taking a sip from his soda can. Elsa stared at him

"Jack... you've never mentioned this before..."

"Why would I? I don't want to burden you with my problems. Besides, look on the bright side: you'll have someone to hang out with after your shift at the café" he said, smiling sincerely at her. His smile was contagious to Elsa.

"That will be great" she replied excitedly. She realized just then that she hadn't really been looking forward to spending the summer on her own.

Now she was.

Lunch was pretty much uneventful after that brief moment of intense conversation between them. They'd continue to chat about every topic they could think of, and Jack was glad to know more about Elsa. He was overwhelmed by how much easier it was to talk to her now, and how much he'd grown to care for her much more deeply than before. He liked that she was interested in winter sports, and read books that had strong female characters in them. He enjoyed listening to her talk about movies and the actors she biasedly watched them for, about music and how she really disliked rap but loved jazz. About her taste in contemporary music as well as what she called the classics.

He was surprised to learn that she used to take singing lessons and be part of the school choir.

"Really? You should sing for me one day, I want to hear you"

"Oh, I don't know, it's been a long time since I last sang for an audience. I bet I don't sound very good..." she replied, blushing slightly. Jack chuckled.

"Come on, just once. Sometime when we're alone. I won't judge" he pleaded, which made Elsa giggle at his genuine interest in something about herself she now considered so trivial.

"Ok, but just for you. I really don't want a big audience"

"That's all I'm asking" he said, winking at her. Elsa rolled her eyes at him, but she was smiling.

…

Hiccup was about to knock on the door of Astrid's house when she opened the door and startled him.

"Sorry, I saw you coming from my bedroom window" she admitted with a shrug, smiling at him. Hiccup smiled back.

"Hey Astrid. I came to see you because we haven't been able to hang out during the exams and… well, I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon, I'm going back to my dad's"

"Oh, right, you told me" she replied, sounding a bit sad

"Come on, don't be like that, we still have today. And that's why I came here. You wanna go grab some dinner? Maybe watch a movie afterwards, my place?" he suggested. Astrid's face immediately lit up.

"Hiccup Haddock, are you asking me out?" she inquired. Hiccup chuckled.

"I was trying to be smooth about it, but I guess I failed"

"Nah, it was ok. I'd give you 7 out of 10 for that"

"Ha ha, very funny, Astrid"

"Funnier than you, always" she replied cockily, placing her hands on her hips. Hiccup smirked.

"Oh yeah? Let's hear you laughing about this" he challenged, pulling her by her waist towards him and planting a kiss on her lips.

The kiss was brief, and she gaze looked foggy when he pulled back, which made him chuckle.

"So, dinner?" he asked, arching an eyebrow at her. She smiled.

"Dinner"

...

Jack had walked Elsa back to her apartment, and they were now standing out the door, chatting.

"What are you doing this weekend?" Jack asked curiously. He'd noticed Elsa's mood had greatly improved, and was confident he could risk asking her out now.

"I'm gonna spend the weekend with Anna and Rapunzel, since they're leaving on Monday"

"Oh, right, of course" he did his best to hide her disappointment, but Elsa noticed it and giggled.

"We'll have two months afterwards, though, so just be patient" she assured with a smile. Jack very visibly improved his mood.

"You're right, we have time" he said giddily "for now, you must be tired, so I'll let you rest"

"Thank you for a lovely evening, Jack" she said earnestly, placing a gentle hand on his bicep. She couldn't help but notice how strong he was.

"It was only lovely because you were with me" Jack replied, his voice dropping to a husky tone that Elsa hadn't heard him use before. It made butterflies explode in her stomach, and suddenly she understood.

She was very attracted to Jack, like she hadn't felt attracted to anyone before.

This knowledge made her blush and look away, suddenly very self-conscious.

"I had nothing to do with it" she whispered. She felt Jack's hand claiming her chin gently, slowly making her look at him again. He seemed concern.

"I'm sorry, did I make you feel uncomfortable? You know that's not my intention"

"I know what your intention is" her tone wasn't accusing. It was so plain that Jack didn't know what to make of the statement. His mouth opened and closed but he said nothing, worried he could put his foot in his mouth.

Elsa was nervous. She had opened a door, so to speak, and all of her feelings suddenly washed over her whole body, her undeniable attraction for Jack getting the best of her. His hand moved to her cheek and it burned. It burned almost like touching ice.

And she just loved the cold.

She noticed he was starting to lean in. Slowly, oh so slowly, he was giving her time to notice and complain, or pull back. He felt it as strongly as ever, the need to get closer to her, but he didn't want to mess things up. He didn't want to do anything, not a thing, that she did not want him to.

But she leaned in as well, and her eyelids fluttered and dropped closed when she could feel his breath on her face. He closed his own.

The first contact was soft, a slight and careful caress of his lips against hers. She responded just as carefully, almost as if they thought they could hurt each other if they put in too much pressure. The only additional contact was Jack's hand on Elsa's cheek, and the innocent sliding of their lips seemed to last an eternity.

He eventually pulled away, just a couple of inches, and looked into her eyes. She looked back at him, her big blue eyes mesmerizing him like they never had before. Their noses were almost touching while they stared at each other intensely, Jack's hand still on her cheek. Elsa clenched her fists a couple of times and then something in her mind just… snapped.

With a loud moan, she threw her arms around his neck and attacked his lips with her own, her head tilted to the right, pressing her whole body against his. Jack's eyes flew wide open before they closed again and he raised his arms to hold her close, responding to her hungry kiss with the same eagerness, all of his pent up emotions of the past months finally pouring out.

He had one hand on the nape of her neck, holding her there, and another on her back to keep their bodies together. Their tongues danced together and their lips bruised each other, his mind completely disconnecting. How had this happened? He was definitely not expecting this, but he also wasn't going to complain.

When they finally broke the kiss, they were breathing heavily and Elsa's cheeks were tinted pink. Jack looked at her bruised, red lips and his desire for her exploded in his chest. The fact that her breasts were pressed against him and her arms were still around his neck wasn't helping at all.

Slowly, very evidently not wanting to, they broke their embrace and separated from each other, their only contact being Jack's hands holding Elsa's, after they'd slid down her back and arms. She sighed and smiled at him.

"Good night, Jack" she said, and without another word, turned around and disappeared into her apartment.

Jack just stood there for a couple of minutes, too stunned to move. He brought a hand to his lips and touched them thoughtfully.

_**Did that really just happen? **_he asked himself, staring at the door. Then he smiled. He knew he was smiling like a complete fool, but he didn't care.

He turned around and started walking back home, feeling like he could fly.

...

...

I feel like I can fly as well, after writing all that xD Time has not been my friend, lately!

Anyways, thanks for reading! Please review if you got the time :D


	11. Not Friends

Hi guys! Thank you so much for your reviews and suggestion on the whole M-Rating topic. I'm still not sure it will happen, but it's good to know I got so much approval :) if it does happen, I'll let you know before hand, though, in case you feel uncomfortable reading such things.

Anyways, thanks in general for reviews and follows and favorites. I'm very happy with how this story is going.

This chapter is a little sappy, so sorry in advance xD

Oh, and something I never do! Sorry! Let me answer guest reviews (today I got some time to do so)

**shiver** - I know, that braid moment is cool, so I had to add it in. And yes, Hiccup's going through a phase... I have hope for him as well. Thank you so much for constantly reviewing :)

**Guest** - 'kay, will consider it :D thanks for reviewing

**Sav1289** - Thanks for giving your opinion as well, sorry I couldn't answer directly to you. And thank you for reviewing!

Ok, sorry for the interruptions, let's get on with the story :)

...

...

Jack dropped backwards on his bed and sighed. He felt like the biggest idiot on the planet and he liked it. He was an idiot in love.

He picked up his phone and opened the pictures he'd taken of Elsa, scrolling by them, taking in her beautiful image with a dreamy sigh.

"I'm a lost cause" he admitted to himself with a smile. It was going to be a long weekend, not being able to see her, but the memory of her lips would carry him through it.

...

It was Sunday. It was a beautiful day and the summer was already making itself present with warm weather and sun. Merida, Rapunzel, Anna and Elsa were sitting at an ice cream parlor, drinking refreshing and sweet milkshakes and chatting about the wonderful weekend they'd spent together.

Elsa was once again absentmindedly sipping from her beverage, looking away from them, a slight blush coloring her cheeks. Anna arched an eyebrow at her.

"Uh… earth to Elsa?" she called, waving a hand in front of her. Elsa jumped a little, startled, and smiled nervously.

"OH! Sorry, Anna, I was thinking about something else"

"Sweety, you've been 'thinking of something else' very often since yesterday. What is wrong with you?" Rapunzel asked in concern. Merida frowned.

"Is it Haddock? Is it that idiot AGAIN?! You just tell me, I'm gonna-"

"No, no, it's alright, Merida" Elsa assured quickly, waving her open palms in front of her "I actually haven't even heard from Hiccup in two weeks. And I'm certainly not thinking about him, so chill"

"Well, what is it, then? It has to be something" Anna pointed out. Elsa sighed.

"I just have a lot in my mind"

"It's that new guy, right? Jack?" Rapunzel guessed. Anna and Merida looked shocked.

"Did he do something to you?!" Merida inquired, narrowing her eyes.

"No no! Jack didn't do anything wrong! It's fine, really" Elsa was quick to dismiss. It always freaked her out when Merida got angry.

"But it's something to do with him, isn't it?" Anna asked, not about to let the topic go.

Elsa sighed again, this time in resignation. She knew they weren't going to let it go, but she might be benefited from telling them, after all. She decided to do just that.

"I just don't know what to do about him"

"What do you mean?" Rapunzel pressed. Elsa turned to look at her.

"Well, you know my history with relationships hasn't been the best"

"Elsa, you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. You've had, what, two boyfriends? And Hans doesn't really count, he's a douche!" Merida reminded in her unique, blunt manner, making Elsa giggle a bit.

"It's because of how things ended with Hiccup, isn't it? You're afraid you'll lose Jack as well" Anna guessed. Elsa turned to look at her somberly.

"I was so sure Hiccup was the right choice. We got along, we were best friends, we could hardly get enough of each other. HE was sure he wanted to be with me! And then everything went to hell and Hiccup has someone else-"

"HE ALREADY HAS SOMEONE ELSE?! Blimey, next time I see that son of a-"

"Merida, please!" Rapunzel place a hand on Merida's shoulder to calm her down "let Elsa talk"

"I don't know if I should let this happen. I know I'm probably wrong to be wondering about that now after we kissed-"

"YOU GUYS KISSED?!" exclaimed Rapunzel, getting up from her seat in delight. Merida arched an eyebrow at her.

"Now who's the one who needs to calm the bloody hell down?"

"I don't want to hurt Jack" Elsa continued "I know you guys sorta hate Hiccup right now for everything that happened but, truth is I had a lot to do with it as well. I didn't love him, I practically forced myself to date him out of thinking it couldn't possibly be the wrong choice. I hurt him too. I don't want to hurt Jack"

"Has he told you something? Does he feel something for you or was it something that just recently happened?" Anna asked with curiosity. Elsa blushed.

"No, he's made it quite clear since the beginning that he's interested in me. He keeps doing so at every opportunity" she admitted. Rapunzel and Anna couldn't contain their sappy 'aaaw's, while Merida just rolled her eyes.

"Elsa, you're thinking too much about it. What happened with Haddock won't happen always. I'd say you should see where things go. Don't push it, but also don't try to keep this guy away. For what I've seen, he's good to you" the redhead stated confidently. Elsa looked genuinely surprised.

"For what you have seen?"

"Girl, you would've been a lot worse off if Jack hadn't been around. He's lifted your mood since what happened with Haddock. He's been there. That has to count for something"

Elsa smiled at her words. Merida was right.

That counted. It counted a lot.

...

Hiro stared at Jack with the most unamused gaze in the world. He had his skinny arms judgmentally folded in front of his chest. Jack tried smiling at him but he didn't pay attention to that.

"I'm guessing you're not here because you want coffee" he said in annoyance. Jack shrugged.

"Nope" he replied unapologetically. He was sitting at an empty table for two by the door. It was past lunch time and the café wasn't crowded.

"Then you should go"

"Isn't Elsa's shift about to be over, though?"

"Get. Out"

"Jack?" both of them turned around to the sound of Elsa's voice, which to both of them sounded more angel-like than human. Jack blushed. She even looked like an angel in those jeans and white sleeveless blouse, with a green apron tied to her front and black flats covering her feet. Her hair was up in her braided bun, and her face was tinted pink.

"Elsa..." he almost breathed her name, thinking he would never get used to seeing her, perfect as she was, and having his breath taken away by her presence. Hiro noticed his frozen state and rolled his eyes.

"Hey, Elsa, you done for the day?" the boy asked cheerfully. Elsa giggled and nodded, untying the bow that held her apron at the back.

"Yeah, I think I'm liking this job" she said cheerfully, getting her apron off "it's busy, but it's fun"

"Aunt Cass said you did a good job"

"Yes, I just talked to her, she's in the kitchen. She was actually looking for you, Hiro"

"Oh! Sure, I'll be right there" he said, starting to run towards the kitchen. He stopped midway and turned back towards Elsa again "Tomorrow, Elsa! Don't forget!" he reminded with a smile and a quick wave, before disappearing behind a door.

"Tomorrow? You have a date with Hiro?" Jack teased, getting up from his chair and kissing Elsa on the cheek. She figured it was now something he would do every time they saw each other, but she liked it.

"Something like that. He invited me over to have dinner with aunt Cass and him. She's making spicy chicken wings, apparently"

"You don't like spicy food" he observed. She rushed to a corner where she had left her purse and a light turquoise hoodie before coming back to him and answering.

"I told that to aunt Cass, but she said she will keep the sauce separate so that I can try it in tiny portions or not at all if it hurts too much"

"Wow, that sauce must be a killer one"

"She said it made your face go numb, so I'm a bit scared" Elsa said between giggles, hiding her laughing face behind her right hand. Jack placed a hand on the small of her back and lead her out of the café, opening the door for her.

"I am scared for you" he joked, slowly sliding his hand so that it rested around her waist, on her hips. Elsa blushed but didn't complain.

"So Jack… I'm assuming you came because you want to hang out or something?" she said with a big smile, and eyes twinkling with hope. Jack chuckled.

"Look at you, you mind reader. Yes, I actually wanted to take you to a bookstore that's close to my apartment building. It's a little hidden, so you probably haven't been there, and I thought you might like it"

"Oooh a bookstore! That sounds like a great plan! Let's go!"

They started walking and Elsa proceeded to tell Jack all about her day and how she had messed up her first try with the cappuccino machine, much to Hiro's amusement. They chatted casually, both very aware of what they were both avoiding:

They hadn't mentioned their episode outside Elsa's apartment.

Elsa was relieved that Jack wasn't bringing it up. What was she supposed to say about it, anyway? She couldn't just flat out admit she's been overwhelmed by desire, she would sound like a slut! Jack would hate her, wouldn't he? He had this pure, immaculate image of her.

Jack, on the other hand, was devastated that they were apparently just going to ignore what had happened between them, but he was doing his best not to show his desperation to Elsa. She seemed happy, and he wanted her to be happy, but still… was Friday's event going to be ignored? He was half expecting Elsa to hug him or something, anything that gave him a hint that Friday had made her more intimately close to him. But nothing. She was acting like she always did.

Maybe he had to kiss her again?

He didn't know at the moment, but he knew one thing: He was not going to let his progress go to waste!

…

"Awww Jack, this place is awesome!" Elsa exclaimed as she walked into the small bookstore.

It had looked like a normal house from the outside, except for a tiny sign that said 'Belle's Book Corner'. Inside, though, it was almost like a magical place. Very tiny and modest, cramped with books of all kinds, with the smell of coffee and incense. It was actually a house made into a business, so it kept that home-y feeling.

"Thought you would like it" Jack said with a smile "Come here, there's a section at the back with the classics and their various editions. Belle is a fan of the classics"

"Belle? Is she the owner?" Elsa asked. Just as she did, though, a young girl with brown hair in a pretty blue dress came rushing towards them.

"Hi, good afternoon, welcome! Oh, hi Jack, good to see you here again" she said in a melodic voice, smiling brightly at them. Jack nodded.

"Hey Belle, it's been a while. I wanted to show Elsa your bookstore"

"Hi, I'm Elsa" she introduced herself shyly. Belle smiled at her.

"Hi! Are you Jack's girlfriend? You guys look great together! Jack's never brought a girl here!" she exclaimed excitedly. Elsa turned all shades of red, which made Jack chuckle.

"No, Belle, she's not my girlfriend" he corrected, and then cupped a hand next to his mouth, as if letting her into a big secret "Not yet, at least" he said in a whisper. Elsa slapped his arm.

"Jack!" she complained in embarrassment. Belle giggled.

"Ugh, Jack, stop embarrassing her! Come on, Elsa, I'll give you the tour" she said, pulling Elsa away from Jack and starting to show her around, leaving him dumbfounded at the entrance.

"Hey, you started it!"

...

"Come on, Jack, just pick one!" Elsa complained, staring at Jack in amusement, born hands resting on her hips, her head tilted sideways.

"Hey, don't pressure me! This is a hard decision! It's life-changing!" he exaggerated, gesturing with his hands to support his point of how big a decision it was.

Elsa would've been mortified that they'd been standing at the register for so long if the place was crowded, but since they were the only ones there, she was rather amused that Jack was having such a hard time picking a book.

"Why don't you buy both of them? You clearly want them both, and they're not expensive" she observed, turning to Belle for support.

"No! Buying two books at the same time is too much pressure! I won't know which one to read first..." he folded his arms in front of his chest and pouted like a big baby. Elsa laughed.

"Then pick one!"

"Ok, let's see... on one hand, I have Club Dumas by Arturo Perez-Reverte (cheers for me if I pronounced that correctly) which sounds awesome because, who wouldn't want to build a cult around someone as great as Alexandre Dumas?"

"Jack..."

"On the other hand, though, I have this one called The Night Circus which I've heard is pretty great. They say the author managed to create a world so awesome, it's almost insulting she didn't write a saga. And it's got magic, I like that"

"Jack..."

"I also like the cult thing though, and I've read this Spanish author before, he's awesome, he makes me want to learn Spanish"

"Jack"

"But this magic thing..."

"Jack! Enough! You're getting on my nerves!" she exclaimed, half annoyed and half laughing, snatching The Night Circus from him and giving it to Belle "I'll take this one"

"Hey! What-?"

"Shut up! I'll get this one, you can get that one, and then we can both get to read the two of them. We'll exchange after we're done" she explained with a smug smile that said 'I obviously have the best idea ever'.

Jack was mind-blown. Maybe it was because of what reading meant to him, but buying books together seemed so intimate that it made the butterflies in his stomach go into a rampage. He just stared at her wide eyed and nodded, and Elsa proceeded to pay her book. Belle gave Jack a knowing, amused glance and then continued to charge Elsa for her purchase.

Jack proceeded to pay as well afterwards and, before he knew it, they were leaving.

"Thank you so much for everything, Belle. I'll come by now often" Elsa said, waving her goodbye. Belle looked delighted.

"Looking forward to that!" she replied. Jack nodded and waved and soon, he and Elsa were walking down the street.

"Thank you for bringing me here, Jack, I had fun" she said honestly, beaming up at him while clutching her newly acquired book to her chest. Jack smiled. She looked like the cutest nerd in history.

"No problem. For what we've talked about, I figured you might enjoy the visit"

"I did! Belle's place is amazing!"

"It causes that impression on people who truly love reading" he said with a small nod, remembering the first time he'd been there on North's suggestion.

"You know what I would enjoy now? An ice cream" she hinted giddily. Jack stared at her in amusement.

"And some cookies to go with it" he added "there's a great place a few blocks from here"

"I'm in!"

...

"Last summer, Anna and I went to California, to the aquarium in Monterey. I absolutely loved it" Elsa remembered, after Jack had asked her how she usually spent her summer time "We try to do something different every time. My aunt and uncle, Rapunzel's parents, own a very successful law firm and she has done a lot to make us love traveling. They love to travel, and they take us with them. This summer they had too much work, though, that's why Anna arranged the trip with Rapunzel and Merida. They invited me as well but I wanted time on my own"

They were at an ice cream parlor Jack had lead them to, currently sharing a brownie topped with vanilla ice cream and walnut cream, currently positioned in the center of the small rounded table. The table was small enough that Jack's arms occasionally brushed against Elsa's, both of them resting on the table's surface, spoon in hand.

"Is it because of what happened with Haddock?" he asked in concern. He didn't like remembering she had ever had something with that guy, much less now after the kiss they'd share and the renewed hope he had, but he still would never deny her an ear if she wanted him to listen.

"Partly. Mostly because of the friendship we lost, though. I understand my feelings better now, and I know I don't feel like that towards Hiccup. At least not anymore" she explained, scooping some ice cream and brownie with her spoon as she did.

Jack braced himself as he watched Elsa put the spoon into her mouth and moan in delight. The way she slowly pulled the spoon out of her mouth, getting all of the delicious sweet off of it with her tongue and lips, made him imagine something else entirely that was starting to make him feel a bit uncomfortable.

He gulped loudly.

"Uh… that's… good, I guess. I mean, not you losing your friend, but settling your feelings at least" he replied, finding it hard to stay coherent. Elsa was completely oblivious to his pain, though, and just shrugged.

"I suppose it's an improvement. I'm also not moping around because I can't be with Hiccup like before all this mess came to be. I miss him, but he did step over the line"

"Over the line… yes..." he lost his coherence once again as he saw her reach for another spoonful. He cleared his throat and felt the blush rise to his cheeks "Well, he'll have the whole summer to think about everything that went wrong, too. I'm guessing he went back home?"

"Yes, he spends the summers with his mother. Now more so, after his father's passing. He keeps a lot more in touch with his mother" she added, putting the spoon back into her mouth, going through the same cycle of torture for Jack again.

"He... told me something... about that... " he managed to say, not being able to take his eyes off of her lips. She was looking towards the window, though, and didn't notice this. It was suddenly raining outside.

"Ugh, I hate rain" she commented, drastically going off topic, though Jack preferred it if they stopped talking about Hiccup Haddock.

"Me too. I like the cold, though. And the snow" he said, once again recovering his coherence now that her spoon was away from her mouth. She turned towards him and smiled.

"I love the snow"

"I used to go snowboarding with my dad during the winter. Now it's just me, though" he said, shrugging it off as if it was no big deal.

"Well, I could always go with you. I've always liked the idea of snowboarding, though I've never tried it. It's been long since the last time I was at the mountains. I like ice skating, though" she said, intending to distract Jack from the unpleasant memories. His grin told her she'd succeeded.

"Now you must come with me sometime. And we should definitely go ice skating, there's a place downtown"

"I know, I've been there on my own. Skating takes my mind off things and helps me relax" she explained. And scooped some more ice cream.

Her next movements seemed to happen in slow motion for Jack. She took the spoon into her mouth again, her lips enclosing around it. Again came the low, short moan of delight and her eyes closed in bliss as she slowly pulled the spoon back out, her lips still closed around it, claiming every last bit of ice cream and brownie from it.

Not a second had passed after the spoon was completely out of her mouth when his lips were urgently on hers.

And she moaned. Again.

He raised his hands and tangled them in her hair, messing up her bun in the process and not giving a shit about it. For the way she responded, she clearly didn't give a shit either. The kiss turned desperate, and he could feel some ice cream still lingering in her mouth when he noticed his tongue was inside. When did that happen? He also noticed Elsa had tilted her head more to the right, allowing him easier access.

When they parted it was slow and deliberate, the kiss slowing down, as if they didn't want to break out from their personal piece of heaven too soon. Once they did pull apart, though, he opened his eyes and saw Elsa was taking a little longer opening hers. And in that moment, with her cheeks tinted pink, her eyes half closed and her lips slightly parted she was…

...she was the most beautiful thing he'd seen his whole life.

She finally opened her eyes and chuckled, not moving away from him, staring right into his eyes. He was smiling so widely he thought his face was going to break, and he felt great about it.

They stayed like that for a moment, smiling and laughing lightly, enjoying each other's proximity. He stole a couple more kisses.

When they pulled apart, they were both smiling, but there was something that Jack found strange about Elsa's smile. It was too casual, maybe?

"We should go for a walk" she said, like nothing out of the ordinary just happened.

Jack blinked several times, forcing himself out of his daze before being able to answer her.

"Sure, let's go"

...

They'd walked for a while when they finally got back to Elsa's apartment. Once again, they stood at her doorway at the end of their time together for the day.

They were suddenly silent. Both of them remembered what had happened last time they were standing there, and both of them wanted it to happen again, but Elsa was having a much more intricate mental debate with herself. She couldn't shake the thought of it being wrong. She didn't know if she was ready for another relationship, for the pain it could represent if it didn't work. Not again, and certainly not when her wounds were so fresh from the last heartbreak. Nevertheless, she couldn't deny what she was feeling. Everything about Jack seemed to draw her in and she felt helpless about it. He was smart, he was interesting and well-read, he has his own demons to fight just like she had hers which made him strong in her eyes. And his appearance... well, she certainly had no complaints about that.

Jack reached out and held her hands in his own, his gaze fixed on the ground.

For him it was simple, it had always been like that. He knew he wanted Elsa from the very first time he saw her, and now he knew he wanted all of her. Yes, she was beautiful, but she gave a whole new meaning to that word. Everything about her was beautiful to Jack, her preferences, her hobbies, her quirky personality, her insecurities... He wanted her with everything she carried with her.

When his eyes searched hers, he found her staring at their linked hands, her face radiating with concern, her brow furrowed. He let go of her right hand to brush some strands of hair away from her face. She'd fixed her bun after their little episode at the ice cream parlor, but it was still a bit messier than usual.

She looked up at him, her eyes shining with unshed tears. Jack felt panic starting to raise in his chest at the sight.

"Jack, I don't think I can do this" she blurted out suddenly, sounding desperate.

"What do you mean?"

"There's... something here. Between us. I feel like I can't stop it, no matter how much I want to"

"Why do you want to? Why would you want to stop this?" he asked, still unclear what she meant by 'this', but completely sure that whatever it meant, he didn't want it to stop. Elsa looked away, biting her lower lip "Is this why you've been avoiding the subject, acting like what has happened between us is no big deal?"

Elsa looked up at him in shock, witnessing the pain in his eyes. She realized he'd been hurting him just by putting off talking about it and it bothered her to not have realized it sooner.

"I'm sorry! I didn't know what to say, and I knew I was probably crossing a line by letting things get out of hand but-"

"Out of hand? That's what kissing me is to you? Something that got out of hand?" he didn't sound accusing at all, which surprised Elsa greatly. Hiccup had always sounded accusing when he was asking her about how she felt about him, and she had been expecting this of Jack as well.

But Jack was just hurt. He looked like, even though she could answer 'yes' to that, he wasn't going to hold it against her, even if it was something he wasn't eager to hear.

Elsa shook her head frantically.

"No! It does mean something more to me, I just..." she sighed heavily and dropped her face into her palms, hiding her eyes from him "I had promised myself this wouldn't happen right now, if it ever did"

"What? I don't understand..." she couldn't see him, but his voice sounded hoarse, like he was having trouble speaking.

"I don't want to lose you too" came get response finally, the sound muffled by her hands. Jack felt the warmth spread through his entire body, his panic dissipating.

Elsa wasn't blowing him off. She was just justifiably scared.

"Hey, come here" he whispered, pulling her gently into a hug. She placed her hands on his chest, her face buried in it as well, while Jack's arms embraced her protectively and his head rested on hers, his cheek against her hair "you're not going to lose me, Elsa"

"How do you know? Hiccup thought he wouldn't. I thought I was doing good, choosing him, but I just ruined our friendship" she lamented. Jack's jaw tightened a little, but she didn't notice.

"This is not the same, Elsa. We have a connection, a different one. I don't think I can tell you I'll make this work because I don't think that's how this will happen. It will be natural, not forced or 'chosen' by us. If anything I think it's choosing us"

"But what if we get awkward with each other? Hiccup and I-"

"Let's forget about Haddock, please" he pleaded, holding her by her shoulders and gently pushing her back to look at her "If you keep comparing me with him, we're really not going to get anywhere"

Elsa stared at him breathlessly. Jack looked serious and... for the first time... angry at her. It disarmed her completely.

Jack suddenly released breath he didn't know he'd been holding. Then he laughed, but he looked nowhere near happy.

"I'm probably trying too hard at something I'm never going to accomplish, right?"

"What?"

"I'm always going to be the-one-after-Hiccup to you" he said, his voice cracking a little at the end. He dropped his gaze to the ground and closed his eyes tightly.

He was in pain.

Elsa placed her hands on his cheeks and seeked his eyes with her own, worried horribly about what he'd just said. When he finally forced himself to look back at her, she had this determined vibe emanating from her features.

"You are not related to Hiccup in any way for me, I'm sorry I made you feel like that. I'm not comparing you to him, I'm just not confident about how I handle relationships, Jack. For what I gather, you've had lots of experience, but I've only ever been with Hiccup. At least in a serious kind of relationship" she explained. Jack chuckled.

"I don't have lots of experience" he said with a shrug. Elsa frowned, and her hands dropped from his cheeks to her hips in an exasperated demeanor.

"You want me to believe I'm your first? You told me you've had girlfriends before and that you're not a virgin, plus you've made it quite clear that you know how to sweet talk a girl, and-"

"Elsa, you're the first girl I've ever fallen truly in love with" he confessed, his gaze burning into hers with an intensity that was intimidating.

She gaped at him, her hands now going up to cover her mouth in shock. Jack snorted.

"That was probably a horribly non-romantic way to tell you that for the first time" he lamented, reaching up to run a hand through his hair "I think I'll just leave before I keep shoving my foot in my mouth"

"You don't have to leave yet" she pleaded. She didn't understand it fully, but she didn't want him gone. Was it just because of how attracted she was to him or was she feeling something deeper?

Jack shook his head.

"It's late, you have work tomorrow and so do I"

"You start work tomorrow?"

"Yes"

"The editorial internship thing you told me about?"

"Yes, that's the one"

"Oh... will you come by the café after my shift?" she asked hopefully.

"I don't get off work so early, plus you have that invitation to have dinner with Hiro"

"Right..." she didn't know what else to say, and she suddenly looked distressed. Jack smiled. He had probably been too unfair, she was just confused. He couldn't hold that against her.

He leaned in a kissed her softly on her lips, as casually as he could manage. It was a brief contact, but it dazed her all the same. Jack smirked.

"If I ask you to go out with me this Saturday, I mean, go out as someone who wants you to be more than just his friend, will you accept?" he whispered, his breath still reaching her face warmly. She looked surprised.

"You're still interested in me?"

Jack chuckled.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily. Did you not hear me say I'm in love with you?" he asked, his shy smile making her blush.

"I-I did hear you..."

"So you'll go out with me?" he repeated timidly. Elsa finally managed to smile a little.

"Y-yes" she answered in a whisper that he heard loud and clear. He kissed her again, this time a little more urgently, conveying a bit more of his eagerness to be close to her.

When he pulled away, his hands were on her cheeks, and she was blushing again. He stared at her, all his love shining in his deep blue eyes so overwhelmingly that it made her weak in the knees.

"I'll pick you up at noon, then" he promised, and grinned widely before he added "By the way, we already aren't acting quite like just friends"

She giggled "good night, Jack"

"Good night, Ellie"

...

"Mom, did you really need to get all of this?" Hiccup asked, arranging the shopping bags in the trunk of his mom's Prius. Valka laughed.

"Hiccup, when are you going to learn? Women don't only shop out of need" she said as she got into the driver's seat. Hiccup got on next to her and sighed.

"Fine, mom, but you go overboard sometimes" he stated "at least let me chose the radio station this time"

"Go right ahead" she allowed, starting the car. He browsed through the stations, listening a bit of everything, searching for something he liked.

He hadn't been very successful, but suddenly he recognized a song. His finger stopped over the 'skip' button, his eyes widely staring at the car's stereo system.

Valka arched an eyebrow in confusion.

"Mmm... I wouldn't have guessed you like that sort of music, son. Always thought you were more into rock" she commented. Hiccup closed his eyes, pulling his hands back, away from the stereo.

He wasn't going to skip that song.

"Elsa really likes this song"

...

In a very improbable, though apparently not impossible scenario, Jack had turned on his iPod and connected it to the speakers while he prepared himself a sandwich. He turned on the radio app and the same don't started playing. He stopped for a moment, and listened to its lyrics, paying attention.

"Wasn't this the song Elsa mentioned once?" he recalled out loud, remembering a short conversation they'd had regarding Elsa's playlist. He smiled.

"What a catchy tune"

...

"Hey Anna" Elsa said, just as the video call connected her to her distant via webcam. Anna waved enthusiastically.

"Hey, sis! Miss you already"

"I miss you too. How was your flight?"

"Uneventful, though Merida fell asleep and she was snoring. I filmed a bit of it on my phone" she giggled. Then she noticed some background music on Elsa's side and narrowed her eyes "wait, you're listening to music"

Elsa bit her lip and quickly rescued for her iPod to pause it "sorry, I rushed to answer your call and forgot to stop it"

"Elsa, that song. You listen to that song when you have a lot on your mind. Is everything ok?"

"Y-yeah, everything's fine. I'm just really tired, it was a long day"

"Yeah, right..."

"Anna, you mind if we continue talking tomorrow? I'm tired, I need some sleep" Elsa said hastily, trying to get her to drop the subject. Anna signed.

"Ok, but remember I'm here for you if you wanna talk"

"Yes, thanks Anna. Good night"

"Night, Elsa"

...

Anna seemed disturbed when she ended the call.

"Is something the matter?" asked Merida with concern. Rapunzel was looking at her quizzically as well.

"I don't know, she didn't tell me"

"Then what happened?" Rapunzel asked.

Anna made a pause. She would've elaborated more on her suspicion, but she knew she didn't have to. Not with them.

"Elsa was listening to 'Don't' by Ed Sheeran"

Rapunzel and Merida exchanged worried glances.

"Oh yeah, she had something on her mind alright"

...

...

We all have that song that gets us going, don't we? And... this one in particular, don't ask me why because the lyrics aren't really representative, but it's the inspiration for this fanfic. And also for Elsa's inner turmoils, apparently :) Hope you enjoyed!


	12. With Benefits

Hey guys! Soooo... I changed the rating of the fic, that means it ended up being M. Yes. I'm surprised about it. And sorry if this chapter took long, I was just being paranoid. I wanted it to be perfect, or at least good enough. I dunno, I've never written something like this. At least I was very satisfied with the result.

Uhm... and I don't know if last chapter wasn't very good, I got fewer reviews so it probably was ._. sorry, I was building up, I swear!

Anyway, on with the story

**Warning: This chapter contains sexual scenes, so if it bothers you, skip the part of the very end when they get to Elsa's apartment.**

...

...

"Morning, Jack!"

"Morning, Ralph. It's nice to be back" the young man replied, shaking hands with the tall, sturdy brunette guy.

Ralph was the editor in chief of the magazine Jack usually worked for during the summer break. He and Jack were close friends by now, Jack enjoying his company and share of wisdom, and Ralph enjoying Jack's refreshing spirit and trustworthiness.

Today Jack was all business. He was wearing a blue jacket over a white button shirt and brown dress pants. What every company would call smart casual.

"Ready to work? We have loads to do this summer! You knew our sports section separated into a different magazine?"

"I… didn't know that, this is the first I hear about it"

"Well, as you can guess, that doubles our work load. Good news, though: I got more budget this year, so you won't be alone. Oh, here they come" Ralph signaled, and Jack turned around to see two guys around his age coming towards them. They already seemed very acquainted with each other.

One of them was really tall, almost two heads above Jack's height, and was really skinny and pale. His skin looked gray, even. He had shiny black hair and bags under his dark eyes. He dressed completely in black, which gave him a really emo look.

The other one was about as tall as Jack was, more tanned and broad-shouldered, with brown hair. He was wearing a green button-up shirt and black pants.

They gave off a rather disturbing vibe, or so it seemed to Jack, though he didn't want to be prejudiced and forced himself to ignore it.

_**It's probably just me imagining things**_

"Jack, these are the other two interns that will be working with you. This is Peter, and that's Hans" Ralph introduced. Jack shook hands with both of them, smiling a bit.

"Jackson Overland, pleased to meet you" he said formally.

"Peter Black. My friends call me Pitch" said the tall, lanky one. Jack chuckled.

"Pitch Black, uh? Clever" he said, and it was meant to be a compliment, though Black didn't look amused.

"Hans Westergard, pleased to meet you as well" said the other one as he shook Jack's hand.

"Hans… Your name sounds familiar. Have we met before?" Jack inquired. Hans arched an eyebrow and shook his head slightly.

"I think I would remember someone with white hair" he said with a grin. Jack nodded absentmindedly. The name did sound familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on it.

_**Oh well, it will come to me, I guess**_ he thought dismissively.

…

"Ok kids, wait right there, I'll go make dinner! Don't worry, I'll keep the sauce separate for Elsa"

"Thanks, aunt Cass" Hiro said as his aunt busied herself in the kitchen. He and Elsa were sitting on the stairs leading to Hiro's room. They'd been chatting all day since Elsa got off work.

"So how's Baymax coming up?" Elsa asked with interest. Hiro smiled widely.

"Pretty good, actually. I taught him karate"

"You what?"

"Well, I added a disc that has karate information for him, and I'm working on a suit so that he can fight without damaging his fluffy self"

"But why? I thought Baymax was supposed to be like a nurse, with a cute and cuddly appearance"

"This way, he can be of help if someone is in danger as well. I don't know, I needed to do some upgrades and figured that would be good. I'm not so sure about the suit yet, though. He still looks fat and clumsy in it" he said in a sort of regretful manner, making Elsa giggle.

"It'll work itself out, I'm sure of it" she encouraged, earning a smile from the kid.

"So... You and Jack, uh?" he suddenly asked, changing the topic dramatically. Elsa stared at him in disbelief.

"I... Why... Why do you say that?"

"Pfff come on, Elsa, it's obvious. He's obviously interested, and I haven't seen you complain" Hiro pointed out, and despite all of his efforts, it sounded like he was complaining. Elsa smiled sweetly at him.

"I still don't know how that'll turn out, Hiro, but yes, we are going out" she replied. Hiro huffed.

"I knew it" he said, crossing his arms in front of his chest with a frown. The frown vanished completely when Elsa leaned in to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"But you'll always be my favorite guy" she said, ruffling his hair with her hand and making him laugh.

"I better be" he said, his cheeks tinted pink "You'd go out with me if I was older, right?"

"Wouldn't even think about it twice" she said with a smile, making his own smile wider as well.

"So… if you're going out with him, what's bothering you?"

"Uh? What do you mean?"

"Well, you're always smiling, but I can tell when you're smiling a bit sadly. Dunno, I guess it's because I could always tell when aunt Cass was missing Tadashi but putting up a strong front for me" Elsa was surprised by the degree of understanding Hiro portrayed through those words, and was genuinely touched that he was paying that much attention to her.

Now she really wished Hiro was her age.

"That's sweet of you. Yes, I've been worried, but I don't know if I should tell you..."

"Elsa, you can tell me anything. I'm your friend" he asked, arching an eyebrow at her. Elsa's smile returned.

"You're my best friend" she confessed, as she realized this much was true. Her previous best friend had been Hiccup. No matter how good of a relationship she had with Rapunzel, Anna and Merida, the things she discussed with them and the ones she told Hiccup were always different. Hiccup was no longer actively speaking to her and, since her relationship with Jack wasn't currently pointed towards a friendship… Hiro was it. The young man had a very mature way of speaking, sometimes making her forget she was talking to a kid that should be a freshman in high school.

"Then tell me. All the more reason to tell me… best friend" he replied, elbowing her lightly in the ribs, eliciting a giggle from her.

Man, was this kid going to be a danger to women when he grew older…

"I just don't want to screw up. I messed up badly with my last boyfriend..."

"That lanky, brown-haired dude with the funny name? I hardly think that counts" Hiro said, crossing his arms and staring at her with a frown. Elsa had to laugh at this.

"Before you, Hiccup was my best friend. Our bond went a lot deeper than how he looked" she pointed out, omitting the fact that she actually quite liked Hiccup's appearance. Still did. She'd slept with him after all, and that left her with the aftermath of dreaming with his green eyes staring right into hers… a color that had only just recently been replaced by blue.

Jack's deep, icy blue.

Hiro seemed to ponder on Elsa's words before replying.

"You probably shouldn't compare experiences. I mean, Hiccup's Hiccup and Jack is Jack. They are like… totally different, right? It was easier for you to become Hiccup's friend, that's why the transition ended up not being a good idea. He was just meant to be that, and you guys confused the whole thing. And Jack… well, you probably skipped the friend thing, and he's always been pretty obviously into you. So if he ever told you he was just going to be your friend, he's a lying bastard" he explained, making her laugh once again.

Yes, Hiro did understand lots more than what she gave him credit for.

"You're right about the lying thing"

"I knew it"

"But you know what? I may be glad he lied about it" she said, a shy smile creeping up on her face. Hiro groaned.

"Ok, this conversation has to stop. I can't hear you talk about liking Overland, really" he said, blushing a little in his jealousy fit. Elsa thought it was the cutest thing and gave him a big bear hug, which he childishly fought.

Soon, aunt Cass called them over and the three of them enjoyed a relaxing evening. Elsa of course had to skip on the sauce, since she'd tried it a little and almost died, much to the others' amusement.

...

It was Friday already and Jack felt like it had been centuries since the last time he'd laid eyes on Elsa, even though he'd seen her on Monday. Things at the magazine's HQs had been hectic and he'd been working extra hours (albeit gladly, since his paycheck was going to reflect that).

But it was Friday... And he was one day away from his date with Elsa. He'd been smirking like a fool since he got up in the morning.

He was looking through his phone while sitting at the desk he was using to go through some of his work, looking at his few pictures of Elsa, when Hans came towards him.

"Nice, Overland, who's that?" he asked with a smirk. Of course he knew, but Hans was sly.

Jack was a bit startled, but smiled at the question nonetheless, unaware of what was really going on in Hans Westergard's head.

"Just… a girl I'm going out with" he decided to say. He did have a date with her the next day, so it was safe to honestly say they were going out. His smile widened at the thought, even if it was Hans he was talking to. He didn't like that guy.

"You go out with a lot of girls?"

"N-no! No, of course not, what gave you that idea? I'm just going out with her. It's serious. Well, I'm hoping it'll turn out serious, at least"

"Cool. Best of luck there"

"Thanks"

"By the way, Ralph told me to fetch you, he's got some work for you"

"More? Gee… ok, thanks man!" Jack said quickly as he jumped out of his chair and rushed to the door.

When he was gone, Hans allowed himself to smirk. He already looked like he was up to something.

"How interesting..."

…

When her phone vibrated, she was expecting it to be another message from Jack, full of heart-shaped emoticons and phrases around the lines of 'I miss you' and 'looking forward to our date'.

It wasn't.

**Hiccup** - Hey, El

Elsa stared at the message for a long while. Hiccup? After all this time, it was him? What did he want?

Another message came in while she debated whether or not to answer.

**Hiccup** - I've been thinking about you

She frowned. What was he trying to accomplish now? Should she be honest about this?

**Hiccup** - I miss you

**Elsa** - are you sending these messages to Astrid as well?

As soon as she sent that, she regretted it. It did bother her, but she should just be ignoring his messages, not fueling the conversation!

**Hiccup** - that's different

**Elsa** - you're not playing Astrid, are you?

**Hiccup** - I wouldn't do that, El, you know me

**Elsa** - do I?

**Hiccup** - better than anyone

**Elsa** - Hiccup, you're making it difficult to deal with you. What exactly do you want?

**Hiccup** - I want to be your friend again. Come on, we had fun together, we understood each other. So it didn't work out between us as a couple, but that shouldn't matter.

**Elsa** - so just friends? You're not gonna go all confused on me again?

**Hiccup** - I'm sorry about that, I know I cause trouble. I will not do that again

**Elsa** - ok... What do we do then?

**Hiccup** - for now, we could just talk. About whatever. Tell me about your day.

**Elsa** - well, I went to work, and I got home about an hour ago

**Hiccup** - you're working? Where?

**Elsa** - at a café

**Hiccup** - cool, spilled coffee on anyone yet?

Elsa giggled at the comment, and the smile stayed on her face afterwards. She was actually glad to talk to Hiccup, she couldn't deny she'd missed him like hell. She wished nothing weird would come in between their friendship anymore, and this was a good start.

**Elsa** - No, but I found my one true love

There was a long pause before Hiccup replied, which gave Elsa a guilty kind of satisfaction.

**Hiccup** - Ok, I'll ask. Who is your one true love?

Elsa didn't reply. She sent a selfie she took of herself hugging Hiro.

**Hiccup** - Ha ha, funny, you totally played me

**Elsa** - That was the intention

She sighed. This was exactly what she needed. She needed the old Hiccup.

_**I should probably not tell Jack about this yet, though**_. she thought guiltily. She knew it could only cause trouble, so she decided she would keep it to herself.

How much harm could it make, anyway?

...

Elsa was picking out her accessories when the doorbell rang.

She'd had a hard time choosing her outfit. She didn't want to look like she was trying to seduce Jack (although she had to admit to herself that a very big part of herself wanted to throw the prettiest dress she had on and jump him after opening the door), but she also didn't want to go out with him wearing jeans and converse shoes like he was just another friend, because he wasn't. She didn't know what to make of their relationship yet, but she knew she had time to figure it out, and she was grateful for it. She was grateful to Jack, for giving her that time.

He was the one giving her time, because he already knew, and he'd been clear about it.

Her outfit was simple, but it was very reflecting of her personality. It was already warm outside, so she was wearing turquoise shorts, and a loose long-sleeved white blouse of refreshing thin fabric. She'd chosen matching turquoise flats (she loved the color, second favorite after bright blue) and matching turquoise bead necklace. She had been just putting on her earrings when he arrived.

Elsa rushed to the door, feeling giddy all over. She felt like she was greeting him for the first time in years, the way her heart was pumping like it wanted to jump out of her chest. She was glad she'd chosen to do her make-up before looking her accessories, so she now had no worries for opening the door.

When she did, she almost gasped.

Jack had chosen an all-denim outfit that suited him beyond belief. He was wearing jeans and a blue denim button shirt, his black converse shoes and bright blue open hoodie making a nice contrast to it all. His hair was as unruly as ever, and oh, did she love THAT.

He, on the other hand, felt light-headed just looking at her. She was wearing shorts, which made her long, creamy-smooth legs look like they went on forever. And she was wearing her hair up in her braided bun…

… if she let her hair down in front of him, he was sure he was going to lose his mind.

"Hey, Jack. You're early" she said, smiling brightly at him.

"Hey... yeah… I kinda really wanted to see you. It's been a tough week" he said with a grin, shoving his hands into his jean pockets. Elsa giggled.

"Well, you've seen me" she pointed out. He chuckled at her playful remark.

"Yeah, and aren't you a sight for sore eyes. You look beautiful" he stated, looking at her intensely. Elsa blushed and had to look away.

"You're just saying that"

"I'm never 'just saying' anything about you"

Elsa giggled and then cleared her throat. This greeting was getting way too intimate for her liking.

"So... Where are we going today? Got anything planned?" she asked casually, hiding her hands behind her back. Jack smirked.

"It's a surprise"

...

Elsa had to admit that she was having the best date of her life. Even if it hadn't been a great surprise that Jack had chosen to take her ice skating.

He was amusingly not very good at ice skating, though Elsa was suspicious of him feigning incompetence just so he could cling close to her. She wasn't going to complain.

After a while, though, they were chasing each other from one end of the skating rink to the other, laughing uncontrollably whenever they manage to tackle each other. Whenever Jack caught up to Elsa, he would steal a quick kiss from her and wink. Elsa soon found out she didn't really want to not be caught.

They fell a couple of times, more because of their goofy antics than lack of experience, and after a couple of hours they were both so tired they couldn't feel their legs.

"I feel like I'm going to die!" Elsa exclaimed in amusement, feeling the numbness of both her legs and feet as she pulled the skates off. Jack sat on the bench next to her, his shoulder slightly brushing hers, and started to remove his own skates.

"I know, that was some exercise" he commented.

Elsa closed her eyes moaned in gratitude as she finally broke free from both skates, her feet silently thanking her from the release.

"I love skating, but that feeling when you take off the skates after a long while-" she was interrupted by Jack's mouth on hers.

It wasn't even a gentle kiss, she felt his hunger in the urgency and force of it all, his hands cupping her jaw from both sides and keeping her there… not that she would try to pull away. She slid her hands on his legs, turning her body towards him and letting herself be blown away by the kiss.

When Jack broke their contact, Elsa's eyes were sparkling and her lips were swollen. She looked as beautiful as always.

"If you keep making those noises whenever you really like something, you are going to drive me insane" he whispered huskily, his face still mere inches away from hers, still cupping her face gently. She smirked.

"Oh? Am I turning you on?" she asked directly, seductively, making him blush even more than he already was. He pulled his hands away from her face and dropped his gaze.

"That was kind of implied. Stop it" he complained, making her giggle.

"I'm hungry, we should go to that sushi place a couple of blocks from here" she announced, completely changing the subject and the tone of her voice. Jack did a double take on that one. It never ceased to amaze him how Elsa could go from sexy vixen to innocent girl in seconds. It also heavily frustrated him, but he didn't see how he could help that.

So they went for sushi, once again casually pushing aside their little encounter, and Jack was starting to think it was going to drive him mad. She looked to gorgeous, and now that he'd had a taste he wanted to be all over her all the time. He didn't know how to proceed, though.

Jack was telling Elsa all about his week, mentioning his new partners, though not by name since he didn't consider them all that important (and quite frankly, didn't really like them). Elsa didn't make questions about them, but more about his own involvement with the magazine and its projects.

He was in the middle of telling her something about it when she kissed him.

And wow, did she kiss him! The time before, at the skating rink, Jack had been feeling like he was practically forcing her, even if she kissed him back and seemed to be enjoying it. But now she was kissing him out of her own initiative, which effectively disconnected his brain and drowned him in a pool of bliss. He probably moaned like some lovesick school girl, and he didn't even mind. All that mattered is that Elsa was starting to show signs of wanting him, even if she couldn't possibly want him as much as he wanted her.

No, that was out of the question. He wanted her too much.

When they parted, Elsa still gripping his shirt firmly (that's how she'd pulled him towards her in the first place), he sighed complacently. That had felt great.

"If you keep sounding so responsible and hard working, YOU are going to drive ME insane" she whispered, giggling from the mischief of throwing his words back at him in what she considered the most clever comeback in the history of mankind (that she was able to come up with that right after kissing him was in itself a miracle).

Jack's smirk threatened to break his face in two.

"Let's get out of here" he said boldly. He had too many ideas at the moment, none of which could be carried out in the middle of a restaurant.

Or any other public place.

...

Jack barely registered the time it took for them to get out of the restaurant and grab a cab to Elsa's apartment. Next thing he knew, he was pressing Elsa against her apartment door, firmly holding her by her shoulders and kissing her neck while she held onto his shirt.

"Not here... someone... might come..." She managed to say, her mind fighting against the concentration needed to speak coherently when Jack was nibbling at her collarbone. She hadn't even opened the door when he launched his attack on her and she was starting to feel self-conscious for making out in the middle of the hallway.

"Open... the door... then" he said between kisses, trailing his caresses from her neck up to her jaw and then to her lips. He gave her a soft kiss before he reluctantly gave her space to turn towards the door and let them into her apartment.

She fumbled with the keys a little, a slight tremble getting hold of her as Jack hugged her from behind, nuzzling his face in the crook of her neck, taking in her scent. When they finally got inside, Jack kicked the door closed and attacked her again. He kissed her with a new urgency, deepening the caress as much as tilting his head to the side allowed him, exploring her with his tongue.

Elsa let out a sigh that seemed more like a moan, holding on to his biceps while his hands roamed her back. She was in heaven and her brain had malfunctioned entirely. No consequences were being considered.

In a brief moment when they broke their kiss, she absentmindedly reached up to her hair and undid her bun, combing her hair a bit and letting her long braid fall on her right shoulder. She looked up at Jack again and was surprised by the absolutely perplexed look on his face, his eyes dilated with desire.

"Damnit, Elsa, you did that on purpose" he whispered. Elsa arched an eyebrow at him in confusion.

"Did what on purpose?"

"Your obliviousness to it just makes it hotter" he replied cryptically, kissing her again. The conversation was effectively lost.

As they started moving further into the apartment, they ended up tripping over and landing on the living room couch, the event eliciting giggles and half-hearted apologies between their kisses. Jack had ended up being on top of her and he was going to make the most out of his vantage position.

Elsa was being less cautious with the noises she was making (at the beginning of it all she'd been embarrassed and self-conscious of every moan, but she was letting them pass freely through her throat by now), which gave Jack all the encouragement he needed to move one of his hands to her breasts. The arching of her body towards him and the small whimper confirmed she had nothing against the action whatsoever.

She didn't know when his hands had gone from being on her blouse to being under her unclasped bra and directly on her very sensitive skin, but she felt like her head was going to explode. He wanted him so badly it hurt, and she realized it had never felt like this before, being with someone or even wanting to. Even if she didn't have all that much experience, she decided it had to count for something.

Her thoughts were lost entirely when Jack started grinding himself against her, and she threw her head back and abandoned all efforts to think coherently. She'd known he wanted her, but feeling it was a whole different story.

Suddenly she found that she couldn't let go of him, her arms were wrapped around him with a strength she didn't know she had.

"Elsa..." he breathed her name, his face buried under her chin "you should... ah, damn... you should probably... stop me"

Elsa almost didn't understand his words in the foggy state of mind she was in.

"W-What?... Ah... Why?" she asked, tangling one of her hands in his white hair. Jack raised his head to look at her through squinted eyes.

"Because… ah, shit… I'm too… too close to… not being able to stop" he confessed, the blush on his cheeks increasing considerably "I want you too much, Elsa"

"I want you too, Jack" she confessed, and he had to kiss her right then, his hip motion against her picking up speed.

"You're not... gonna stop me, then?"

"No"

"So we... We're going to-"

"Yes" she almost moaned her answer, Jack's hands working on her breasts and distracting her from their brief conversation.

He got sick of her blouse and roughly pulled it off her, along with her already unclasped bra, and Elsa unbuttoned his shirt hastily. He quickly shrugged it off and went for her shorts, and by now their movements were erratic, desperate.

They didn't even mind they were still on the couch, just a few steps away from Elsa's room. In their minds, there was no time to move elsewhere.

It took them no time to remove any remaining items of clothing from one another, and Elsa was almost sure Jack had all but ripped her underwear off her. She had to admit, she liked the gesture. She liked seeing that urgency in him.

To Elsa's amusement, Jack suddenly stopped and reached out to grab his pants from the floor, in order to get his wallet. And what did he take out from it? A condom.

"You carry that in your wallet?" she asked, arching an eyebrow at him, still panting from all their previous occupations. Jack groaned.

"Look, it's not like... I mean, I wasn't thinking about... Gee, Elsa, can we not discuss this now?" he pleaded, returning to his position on top of her, accommodating himself between her legs.

Once there, though, he hesitated again. He looked down and then up at her. She was starng at him expectantly.

"Elsa… please, you have to stop me. This… I'm not even sure I should be-" she interrupted him with an open mouthed kiss, licking his lips urgently.

She pulled back and smiled.

"Don't" she said decisively "Don't you dare stop now, Jackson Overland"

And then, in a swift and rough motion, he was inside her.

Elsa whimpered, the sudden invasion feeling like a bolt of lightning through her body. Her eyes went wide with shock.

_**Wow, what was that? **_she wondered. It had never felt like this before.

"Ellie? Did I… did I hurt you?" he asked in concern. She shook her head vigorously.

"N-No! No, it felt… good..." she admitted, her face turning a deeper shade of red.

Jack smirked.

"Elsa… you have no idea..."

After that brief pause, Jack repeated the action. Elsa moaned loudly, throwing her head back. She was in complete disbelief of what was happening, and she didn't understand it, but she wanted more.

She wanted so much more.

As if reading her mind, Jack just went harder from there. At some point, he sat up and pulled her with him, changing their position. All Elsa cared about was that now he was going deeper, something she hadn't considered to be possible.

Jack felt hypnotized by the bouncing of her breasts and the sound of her voice calling his name over and over. He'd dreamed about the moment, but even his imagination hadn't done it justice. He'd wanted Elsa since the very moment he'd laid eyes on her, even if it had started as just a superficial infatuation. It was much stronger now.

And when he felt her shiver and heard her scream his name with ecstasy, he lost himself as well, and in that moment there was nothing in the world but her, and the way she made him feel.

He fell backwards on the couch, Elsa falling on top of him, both sweaty and tired but feeling complete. He sighed with satisfaction, feeling like he'd gotten a big weight off his shoulders. He felt Elsa, whose head was resting on his chest, sigh as well. And that made him realize something...

... He didn't know what to say now.

He stared at the ceiling for a while, eyes wide open in concern. Elsa hadn't moved, though he felt her breathing gently. Was she asleep?

"Elsa?"

"Hmm?" crap, she wasn't asleep. Ok, he'd called her attention. What now?

"Uhm… that was… the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life" he decided to be honest, if not brutally honest. He was no virgin, but he'd never had sex with someone he cared so much for. Not like this. Even if it had been messy and clumsy and on a couch, to him it had been perfect.

He heard her giggle, and felt the vibrations of it on his chest.

"I really liked it as well. I think it was… so different from what I've experienced" she said, and used her arms to rest on his chest and lift her body up a little, so she was able to look at him in the eyes. Her face was tinted pink and her eyes were sparkling, her lips swollen with a deep red color and slightly parted. He could feel her breasts slide against his chest and had to conjure ugly thoughts to keep his body in check.

"Different?" he managed to say. Elsa nodded with a smile.

"Different. And good" she stated. Jack's smile widened.

"I can live with that" he concluded. Elsa giggled and slapped his chest playfully.

"Yeah right, I'm just feeding your ego, am I not?"

"A little, maybe. Is that wrong? I can feed yours, too" he offered. Elsa shook her head and got up from the couch, leaving Jack speechless at the sight of her naked body. She started fishing for her clothes and putting them back on.

"That won't be necessary, thank you very much. Hey, I have some muffins in the kitchen. Want one with coffee? I have a sudden craving for it"

"Sure" he replied, even though his 'cravings' didn't really involve food at the moment.

To his amusement, she dressed herself in her underwear and his own denim shirt, which barely covered her panties. She looked at him and winked.

"Is this ok? I've never done this before, but I've seen it in movies and wanted to try it"

"It's… more than ok" he said, a deep blush creeping up his cheeks. She giggled.

"Ok, I'll be back in a sec" she said, and skipped over to the kitchen looking happy. He smiled, and went to dress himself in his boxer shorts and pants, staying shirtless since she was currently wearing it.

When Elsa came back with a tray, carrying a couple macadamia muffins and two cups of coffee, they sat together and watched TV for a while, changing the channels frequently, not really caring what they were watching as long as there was something to laugh about. Elsa was curled up on the couch against him and Jack had an arm around her, holding his coffee with his free hand. They occasionally stole innocent kisses from one another, they chatted, Jack finally explained the condom thing (he and Aster stupidly carried two or three condoms on their wallets to give them luck with girls, even though they knew it was a stupid joke) and everything was peaceful.

And when there was no more muffin to munch on or coffee to drink from, Jack's hands went elsewhere and the TV was turned off.

…

...

* Dies of embarrassment * please review, and don't be mean!


	13. Just Leave

Hi guys! First of all... sorry! Sometimes I forget to answer guest reviewers here, but it's not because they're less important! It's just that my head is all over the place recently... anyway, I'm doing it now for the previous chapter's reviews:

**TPATFan16** - I always, always enjoy your enthusiastic reviews :) by the way, I apologize in advance for this chapter's change of pace...

**shiver** - You draw? I'd love to see! I draw too! At sketchoverload, it's a tumblr :D I've got a couple sketches of Elsa, Jack and Hiccup (I'll be adding more). I actually wanted to draw a scene as well but I can't decide! If you have a favorite, let me know and I'll do my best as well. But please let me know if you draw something! Now I'm curious :D Thanks for always reviewing!

What else? Oh, warning before this begins... this chapter is a bit... off, in more ways than one. I'm mad at myself, so feel free to be mad at me.

On with the story!

...

...

"JACK!" Elsa screamed as her mind blew up in pleasure and felt her body go numb. She wished they'd been on the bed so that she could collapse backwards, but that wasn't currently the case.

They'd been cooking dinner together, at Jack's apartment, and suddenly he'd dared to steal a kiss from her. And then another one. Then his hands had wandered and, last thing she knew, she'd been cornered against the kitchen counter. His hands went up her skirt, her hands undid his belt and… well, the food had had to wait.

He kissed her passionately before pulling away and rearranging his clothes. She did the same shyly and cleared her throat.

"I wasn't expecting that" she stated truthfully, making him chuckle.

"Well, I wasn't exactly planning it, but you look too good in a skirt" he said, pulling her by the waist and resting his forehead against hers, eliciting more giggles. She pushed away from him, playfully shoving him backwards.

"Down, boy! Now I'm even hungrier, we should go back to cooking" she suggested. Jack was about to say she was right when, at the worst timing ever, she reached up and undid her already messy braided bun, shaking her head to let her braid loose.

She squealed when he picked her up from the floor, bridal style.

"To hell with the food" he whispered huskily "I just want my dessert"

...

Jack sat back on his chair and sighed with exhaustion. There was still a lot of work to do, but that wasn't the main reason for his distress.

It had been almost a month since Elsa and Jack had taken their relationship to the next level, and...

... They still had no relationship whatsoever.

Jack would be lying to himself if he said it didn't bother him. On the one hand, he got to sleep with the most beautiful woman on the face of the earth whenever he got a chance to see her, which was at least twice a week.

On the other hand, she wasn't his girlfriend.

And it wasn't because he hadn't tried to say something about it, but Elsa seemed to always have something to say to interrupt him and change the topic. Did she know? Was she doing it on purpose? It killed him to even think about it, but he was trying to be logical.

"Hey, Jack! Earth to Jack!" Ralph's insistent call made him jump.

"Oh, hey Ralph. What's up?" he asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as he could manage. Ralph wasn't having it, though.

"Are you ok? You've been far away all morning" he inquired with concern. Jack forced a smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry" he assured.

"Mmm..."

"What?"

"Is it girl problems? It's a girl, isn't it?"

"Ralph, I'm fine! Really!" Jack really liked Ralph, but he wasn't sure he was ready to talk to him about his personal life. He was his boss, it was awkward.

He suddenly missed his semester sessions with Dr. North, something he wouldn't have thought was possible.

"Ok... But if you want to talk, I'm here"

"Thanks, I appreciate it"

"Anyway, have you seen Hans? He's taken a long time with the tasks I assigned him"

"Oh, yeah, he asked me to tell you he had a personal errand and needed to leave early. I think he just left like... half an hour ago" Jack replied. Ralph evidently didn't like this.

"Mmm... between you and me, Jack, I'm not a fan of those new interns" he confessed with a grimace. Jack nodded.

"Well, if we're being honest, I don't like them either but I wasn't the one who hired them" he replied looking smug. Ralph snorted.

"Don't look at me, it wasn't me either. My boss hired them, and we don't really have a lot of rules when it comes to hiring interns. You used to be the only one, and only during summer breaks"

"They are interesting people, I can tell you that" Jack said in contemplation, that being the nicest thing he could think of saying.

He really, REALLY, didn't like them.

...

Elsa was cleaning the coffee machine when Hiro called her.

"Hey, Elsa, there's someone looking for you at the door" he announced. Emma was surprised by this. Someone? Surely if it was Jack, Hiro would've said so.

"Ok, coming" she said, quickly untying the knot on the back that held her apron and taking it off before rushing from behind the bar...

...and freezing when she saw who it was.

"Hey Elsa" Hans said with an unpleasant smirk. Elsa's face slowly distorted into an outraged glare as she lay eyes upon him, her fists clenching with fury.

"Hans..." she said venomously. He cynically just waved at her, still smiling.

"That's my name, yes, I'm glad you remember"

"What are you doing here?" she demanded. Her tone startled Hiro a little, who had been trying not to eavesdrop but could not ignore her aggressive change in behaviour.

"How are you? I've heard you've been doing quite well. I've been around for like two or three months and already I've known you to date two different guys" he pointed out, wiggling his eyebrows. Elsa was suddenly so shocked she momentarily forgot her anger.

"What? How do you-?"

"Oh, how do I know about Jackson Overland, you ask? He has probably not mentioned my name to you, has he? We currently work together"

Elsa had a flashback to one of her conversations with Jack at that moment, his exact phrase coming back to her along with the sound of his voice and the dismissive wave of his hand that accompanied the comment.

_There are two new interns, but I won't talk about them. They're annoying and creepy as hell, I'm just glad you don't have to meet them._

"He doesn't remember..." she concluded. And why would he? He'd mentioned the name... once, probably? Maybe not even that, she hated saying his name. She could hardly blame Jack for his obliviousness.

Hans shrugged.

"He doesn't know who I am, that's for sure" he informed gleefully. Elsa quickly recovered from her shock, reestablishing her angry stance.

"That doesn't matter. What the HELL are you doing here, and what do you want?" she demanded.

The sound of Hiro clearing his throat once again brought her out of her rampage.

"Uh... Elsa, is everything ok?" he asked in concern.

Elsa looked around her and blushed. Some of the people currently visiting the coffee shop had noticed the tense situation and were staring at her. She could not continue to make such a scene, it was not fair to Hiro and his aunt.

Hans seemed to have read her mind, for he motioned towards the door.

"Should we take this somewhere more private, darling?"

Elsa wanted everything BUT to be in private with Hans, but she currently had no options. She calmed herself with the thought that they wouldn't really be alone, they would just be going out of the shop, to the street sidewalk. So she nodded and started towards the entrance.

Hiro reached out to hold her arm and stop her.

"Elsa, no" he pleaded. Elsa felt bad for Hiro, he looked confused and worried, and he didn't even know what he was worrying about himself but he knew something was wrong. She forced her most genuine-looking smile for him.

"I won't be long. Tell aunt Cass I'll be right back to finish cleaning" she assured. Hiro reluctantly let her go.

Once outside, Elsa made her very best to behave like she didn't give a rats ass about what he had to say, even though it bothered her greatly.

"Ok, now tell me, what do you want? And please, drop any kind of formalities and small talk, just get to the point. It's not like I enjoy your company" she stated, arms crossed in front of her chest and eyebrows furrowed in distrust.

Hans offered her his most annoyingly, sincere-looking smile.

"Go out with me"

The degree of disbelief made her drop her arms to her sides and just gape at him. She went to quickly recover her angry demeanor, nevertheless, now feeling angrier than before.

"You have got to be kidding me" Elsa spat, feeling insulted by the mere suggestion. But Hans didn't back down.

"I mean it. Go out with me again" he said with an annoying wiggle of his eyebrows that made her want to punch him in the face.

"You can't be serious. Why would you even want to? You made it quite clear you didn't want anything serious with me to begin with. Why the sudden interest?"

"You've changed, Elsa. You look... well, you look nothing like you did in high school" he commented.

Elsa grimaced. Oh, how she knew that, and that's something she hadn't even told Hiccup, but she used to be different, dress different. Anna had always assured her styles were not to be judged but she couldn't quite agree with that. Besides, the humiliation Hans had made her suffer...

She'd been forced to turn into a completely different person.

"So it's superficial" she concluded with resentment. Hans shrugged.

"Like you and Overland aren't in a superficial relationship"

"My relationship with Jack has nothing to do with you"

"Or so you think"

"EXCUSE ME?!"

"Well, I'm guessing he's gonna be mad at me if he finds who I am and what I did... He's probably gonna want to harm me, even"

"He can rip your face off for all I care, you slimy piece of-"

"AND that's probably going to cost him his job" he interrupted, effectively silencing Elsa.

He was right. Jack was going to be pissed, and he was going to take action on it. And he would most likely be fired for fighting a work colleague.

She dropped her head in defeat, and she heard him laugh.

"So here's part of what I actually want: don't tell Overland who I am" he stated.

Elsa felt the rage take over her body. How dare he ask things of her? He really had no shame. And she could see no way around it, which was the worse part.

She sighed heavily, hating the degree of control he was holding against her.

"I won't tell him. Now leave" she replied in frustration. Hans shook his head

"Oh but that's only part of it. I told you, I want you to go out with me"

"Is this some kind of a joke to you?" she exclaimed in outrage. He held up his hands defensively.

"Ok, I'll be serious then. I want you to break up with Overland" he said, his teasing smile disappearing in favor of a scowl. Elsa frowned more.

"Why? What did Jack and I ever did to you?!"

"It had nothing to do with you and Jack!"

"Then what? What is it? Haven't you broken me enough by now? What else do you want from me?!"

"Don't flatter yourself! I was just messing with you when I asked you to go out with me. It has actually nothing to do with you!"

"What? Then... why-?"

"I hate Jackson Overland!" Hans confessed dramatically, and he said it with such passion that Elsa couldn't bring herself to doubt it "He's always right, he's the favorite of everyone, no matter what I do! Everyone at the magazine treats him like an equal, not an intern!"

"Have you tried... I don't know, maybe... ACTUALLY doing your job?!" she suggested condescendingly. He glares at her.

"I want to break him. And YOU are going to help me!" he practically yelled at her, pointing a finger at her face aggressively. Elsa did her best to remain unfazed.

"Give me one good reason why. Why should I feel obligated to end my relationship with Jack?" she asked in defiance.

Hans smirked confidently at the question, though, and she didn't like that one bit.

"Because I have brothers, twelve brothers. Two of them are in town and we can get... violent"

"Are you threatening to hurt me like you did to my ex-boyfriend?" she asked in disbelief. Hans merely shook his head.

"Oh no, not you"

"Jack? If you wanted to hurt him, I think you've had more than plenty of opportunities to do so"

"Wrong again" he replied, and this time, he gestured with his eyes for her to turn around and look behind her.

When she did, her eyes widened in shock... and fear.

"Elsa?" Hiro asked tentatively, as he stepped out the door "are you sure you're Ok? Even from inside, something seems off about this, is this guy bothering you?"

She just stared at him for a moment, not saying anything, and in that moment she realized she loved Hiro dearly. She loved him like she loved Anna, and that fact hit her like a wall of bricks.

She couldn't possibly put him at risk.

"I... I'm fine" she managed to say, briefly glancing back at Hans, who was smirking at her hideously.

"I was just leaving. You have a couple of days to... think about it, Elsa. I'll be back soon" he warned, before turning around and walking away with no hurry at all.

"I don't like that guy" Hiro stated, frowning with distrust "why did he come looking for you? He doesn't seem like the kind of person you commonly associate with"

"He's not, you're right" she admitted, still watching Hans like she was afraid he might change his mind and come back "I actually wish I had never met him"

...

Jack was walking down the street without a care in the world. It was Saturday again, and he was off to see Elsa, after all. For some reason, she hadn't been as talkative as usual through text messages, but she probably was busy at work, he didn't want to push her.

And besides, they had all day to relax and make up for it.

He had decided he was going to ask her today. He wanted her to officially be his girlfriend. He'd bought her a silver bracelet with snowy patterns that he knew she would love, and he thought he had everything worked out in his mind. He was nervous, but it was the good kind of nervous.

The anticipating, excited kind of nervous.

He practically flew up the stairs of her apartment building, feeling the bracelet safe in his pocket. His heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest.

Just picturing her smile in his head was enough to make his heart swell.

He marveled at the feeling. Really, how could he have been so blind? Being in love was way better than just playing around and it made him feel like a completely different person. He rather liked that person.

He reached Elsa's apartment and knocked on the door, waiting patiently for her to open. He was really early, he knew that, but he also knew Elsa wouldn't mind. He normally was, anyway, in his haste to see her.

She opened the door and he suddenly found himself at a loss of words.

She looked awful. Not because she wasn't ready or she wasn't properly dressed, of course. Heck, Jack thought she looked stunning wearing nothing but his own shirts, he hair all messed up from... whatever. No, she looked awful because she looked worn out. Sad, even. Her eyes were red and puffy and she looked like she had tried to hide this washing her face and putting make up on but she hadn't succeeded. She wore a white t-shirt, brown pants and a sad frown on her face, her hair all loose.

"Elsa? A-are you ok? What's wrong?" he asked, seeing as she was seemingly not going to immediately speak.

She opened her mouth to say something but closed it immediately. She looked down at her feet, fidgeting nervously.

"Hey Jack" she whispered. Jack wanted to pull her into his arms and hug her but he sensed it was probably going to startle her right now, so he kept himself in check.

"Hey... may I come in? You look like you need to talk" he suggested. She looked up at him again, and then down again. Then she slowly shook her head.

"I think you should leave"

It took a moment of silence for those five words to completely sink in.

"What? D-Do you not... want me here? I... I thought, since today's Saturday and all, I thought-"

"You really should leave" she repeated, trying to sound a bit more firm about it.

Jack stared at her, looking for something in her eyes, which she dutifully kept focused on the floor, her face flustered with nervousness.

That bad, uncomfortable kind of nervous.

"Elsa... please, tell me what's wrong. Something's clearly wrong. Last week you were fine and now you're all-"

"Jack, we should stop seeing each other" she blurted out suddenly, her voice breaking a little like she was about to cry.

Jack felt like time had frozen right then. Had she really just...?

"What? Wait, you can't mean that. That's not... that can't be right"

"It's fine, Jack, we're not even formally dating" she pointed out, which felt like a dagger to his heart.

"I... I know that, but Elsa-"

"Please" she said, looking up at him with her watery eyes, and she was actually pleading for him to listen "please just leave" she requested quietly.

Jack couldn't stop himself and threw his arms around her, holding her for dear life.

"Elsa, no, please tell me what's going on" he pleaded then, shaking a bit.

Elsa then debated internally whether or not to tell him what was going on, plain and clear. She wanted to tell him, she wanted him by her side… but then what was going to happen to Hiro? Could Jack stop anything from happening to him? She couldn't be with the boy 24/7, after all…

She felt tears falling down her cheeks and steeled herself to continue. Placing her hands softly on his chest, she slowly pushed him away. He looked at her in the eyes, searching for something, anything, that he could use to decipher what was happening.

"Jack-"

"Elsa, I love you!" he confessed, grabbing her by the shoulders, emphasizing each word as if he thought she couldn't understand it "I want to be with you! I know I've been fooling around this past month, dragging this on without speaking out my true intentions. I thought that's what you wanted, but I don't care anymore, that's not what I want!"

Elsa stared at him, her eyes wide in concern and shock. She realized Jack wasn't going to back down, no matter how much she tried to tell him to leave. She wasn't exactly being very convincing, what with the crying and all. And then… and then she knew.

She knew exactly what to say. The only thing Jack would not question any further, but also the one that would hurt him the most.

"I'm still in love with Hiccup"

She saw it all in slow motion. Jack's hands falling to his sides in defeat, his eyes losing focus. His soft, humourless chuckle at the big reveal, and the slight shake of his head.

"Well, shit" he muttered.

She wanted to scream, yell at him that he was an idiot for even believing such a thing, but she knew that wouldn't be fair to him. So she said nothing.

Jack felt like a fool. If that was true, she'd been leading him on, probably marveling at how naive he was. No, he refused to believe Elsa was that kind of person, she had not given him any hint of ever being capable of something of the sort. But then, why was she saying this now.

"You know Hiccup's dating Astrid now, right?" he whispered. Elsa nodded.

"I do know that"

"And that doesn't change anything?"

"No"

"Ah..."

"Jack, just go" she pleaded again, tears falling freely down her face now "Please, go"

He stared at her for a long moment, as if he was trying to memorize everything about her. He thought he suddenly stopped feeling his heart beating in his chest. Maybe it had stopped. Hell, he felt like he wanted it to stop.

Words failed him, so he just nodded and turned around, slowly walking away. Elsa felt shattered just looking at him, deflated and defeated. Happy, enthusiastic Jack looked like and extinguished light.

And it was all her fault.

…

"Elsa?" Hiro called, while she mechanically prepared a cappuccino. She turned towards him with what he quickly recognized to be a forced smile.

"Hey Hiro, what is it?"

"You said I was your best friend" he accused, suddenly frowning. She stopped what she was doing, staring at him in confusion.

"You are, sweety" she replied. To her utter confusion, that seemed to anger him more.

"Don't 'sweety' me, Elsa! Friends tell each other stuff. If I really was your best friend, you would tell me what's wrong with you!"

"Hiro, nothing's wrong, I'm fine" she assured, and Hiro just groaned and walked off.

She sighed. She hated hiding things from the kid, but this was one thing she could not tell him.

It had been a week already, and it felt like it had been years. Parting with Jack had been like parting with a piece of herself, and she hated that something like this had to happen for her to realize something so important.

She loved him. She was in love with Jackson Overland.

Not that it mattered anymore.

Her day went on rather monotonously, and when she got home she broke down. She wasn't sure why, on that particular day, but sorrow had caught up to her. It was probably the realization of her feelings for Jack mixed with his absence and her utter helplessness in it all that made her reach for her phone and dial that specific number.

…

Hiccup opened the fridge and took a can of soda out absentmindedly. It was a boring day, since his mom had gone out shopping with some of her friends and he'd graciously declined the invitation to join them.

He sat back on the living room couch and turned on the TV, holding the remote on his free hand. He knew he was being overly lazy, but he was on vacation and didn't care.

He had been flipping through the channels for a couple of minutes when his phone rang.

Without looking at it, his eyes still fixed on the TV, he answered.

"Hello" he said casually.

And then he heard someone crying on the other end. He knew who it was immediately.

"El? What's wrong?" he asked as he turned off the TV and sat up straight with worry.

It was a while before she was able to speak, but he waited patiently for her to do so. And when she did, she didn't say a lot. Just three words he had been unconsciously hoping to hear for a long time now.

"I need you" she whispered helplessly.

Hiccup frowned.

"I'll be there in a couple of days. Wait for me, El"

...

...

I know, I'm a bad, bad person!


End file.
